Laughter Lines
by HeCallsMeHisChild
Summary: An MSA Ghost fanfic-Just Legends story 5. It's been 3 months since Dib helped most of the Pepper family re-integrate into society. Vivi and Lewis spend their days managing Dib's schedule, in addition to Tome Tomb. Arthur and Kay have settled in together after a quiet wedding. Everything is fairly peaceful until Mystery reappears with a horrifying bit of information for Arcturus.
1. When Everything is Beautiful

The sun was out in full force and barely a breeze to stir the air this far inland. Shoes clung to blacktop for a fraction of a second too long, releasing with a sticky smack and the wafting stench of tar. Kay encountered the oil and grease aura of the shop further from the building than usual today.

Why would Arthur ever pick a salt breeze over this? It was this smell that truly embodied calm. Soothing. Home.

She glided past Ben and Pat on the tips of her toes. They were too busy digging at the underbelly of a Toyota Corolla to acknowledge her wave. She tapped the desk bell to shave-and-a-hair-cut as she glided past it toward the back.

"Sure, why not. Just make yerself at home why don'tcha," called Lance. "No need ta say hi to anyone else'r anythin'."

Veering off course, Kay rounded the desk to intercept him with a warm shoulder squeeze.

"Good t'see ya." The corners of his eyes crinkled as he wiped his hands on a rag. "Artie was moonin' all over the last few days. One more day and he'd'a stormed the labs. Membrane kid still got ya hopping?"

Dropping her tote bag, Kay shrugged, sheepish. Things had calmed down a lot, thanks to Dib's intervention, but there was still tons of work to do. The existence of sirens had been deemed "need-to-know" information which the public did not, in fact, need to know. According to Dib's genetic simulations, as there was only one full-blooded siren in the world, obvious siren traits would weaken and vanish within a few generations. However, Dib was still required present a report to the inquiring branch of government that had allowed him access to their case in the first place. It disclosed all that was known about siren physiology and included a proposal for Kay and Teles Pepper to work with the Membrane Institute to rehabilitate previously untreatable mental cases that were currently consigned to asylums and group homes. There had been some rumblings about using the siren voice for national defense, citing the success of Dib's first few studies and the mysterious deaths surrounding Aji's jailbreak. Teles had flatly refused, adding that they could not force a siren's cooperation with an undesired project, as anyone who tried would likely be dead or under sway in seconds.

Dib backed their position as much as he could, calling in favors and promising loads more research and the development of other non-lethal uses for their voices-all of which, he noted often and loudly, would be much easier to brainstorm and develop with the cooperation of the sirens.

"More R&D in the local psych ward," Kay admitted. "I think we're wrapping that project up, though. Mom wanted to make sure she took care of the people she affected when she was chasing you before we move on, but we've almost worked our way through everyone there."

"All balanced out?"

"Yeah. Most of them are getting released back to their families. There's still a few that need more sessions, though. After this we'll get a few weeks' break while the higher-ups wrangle about which cases to send us."

"Well, hope that break's soon."

Kay considered the pay for her work to be quite generous, but it often meant packing a three-day bag and bunking with her Mom in Dib's lab. Arthur always made a sad face when she left. It was just too long to be away.

"Me Too. Where's Arthur?" she asked.

The words hardly left her lips before a pair of arms-one flesh, one metal-circled her waist from behind. His face pressed into the crook of her neck, just below the edge of her knotted silk square, inhaling deep as if memorizing her scent all over again. She twisted around in his arms, wrapping herself around him. Her feet left the ground as he hefted her, spinning.

"Cripes, get a room," Lance groused. "And not here! The twins'll be back for after-school work any minute. Don't need Ginny gagging all over the sight'a you two bein' gooey."

Kay laughed, the tension between her shoulders uncoiling as Arthur sheepishly set her down. He lifted his hands to sign at Lance, who waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. Don't even. Been three days, just get. Catchup. I'll finish the Johnson car myself."

Arthur grabbed her tote and slung the strap over his shoulder, tugging her arm eagerly.

"Tell the twins hi for me!" she called over her shoulder to Lance. "Send them over tomorrow for homework help!"

Arthur pulled her out of the shop, then dropped her arm, signing, **Dairy Queen? In-N-Out? Paradiso? Dib's a workaholic so you must be starved. Your pick!**

Kay laughed again, pulling Arthur in for an affectionate kiss. "Well yeah, he's a bit obsessed, but you're _always_ hungry." She poked his stomach.

He recoiled, still grinning. **Yeah well you're always humming in your sleep. Not that I mind. The things you learn?** He shrugged, flashing his left hand. A gold band circled the ring finger of his prosthetic.

She clinked a matching ring to his, agreeing, "Yeah. You learn all kinds of things."

He caught her hand, squeezing it and pressing his forehead to her knuckles.

"I missed you too," she said softly. She brought a hand to his face, lifting it so she could see his eyes. "How have you been?"

"Fine," he said shortly, his eyes shifting direction and color. "Peachy."

She ran her fingers along his cheek, drawing his attention again. "Still those dreams?"

"Rainbows and sunshine," he growled. "What do you think?"

She swallowed the sting, refusing to flinch as she stroked his face. "So how about we pick up a bucket of chicken and head for the cliffs? You always seem to sleep a little better for a few nights after you listen to me vent."

He lifted his hands, signing, **We'd like that, whether he'll say it or not.**

"Hey, you two!" came a sharp yell from across the street. Kay glanced up to see Vivi hunched over, cupping hands around her mouth to be heard. "Get a room!"

Arthur rolled his eyes flicking his fingers at Vivi in a "shoo" gesture. Kay grinned, waving.

Waving back, Vivi called, "Hey Kay! Hey Squire! If you lovebirds get some free time, come by the shop. We'll order pizza and hang before Doc snatches me back to manage his calendar, yeah?"

"Then pencil in pizza on his calendar and drag him along," Kay called back. "He doesn't get out of the lab enough."

"You know that only works if he's too distracted to catch me pulling stuff like that."

"Then find the distraction window! Have Dulcie use puppy eyes if you have to. I don't think he's seen the sun in two weeks."

Vivi flashed thumbs up and walked off down the sidewalk.

Kay climbed into the van as Arthur hopped into the driver's seat. Glancing over, he suggested, "Call ahead for the chicken? We can grab it and go."

"Sure." Kay dialed up the local Popeye's as Arthur headed over. The box was hot and dotted with grease spots when she picked it up. She held it carefully in her lap as Arthur turned the van toward the coast and made a beeline for the cliffs.

"The twins will probably be over tomorrow. They always need help with homework."

Arthur snorted, grimacing.

"You're still bugged you can't get info from them?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Aren't you?"

"A little, but Lance is giving them a good home while the authorities sift through Missing Persons."

"It's been months since they showed up, Kay. I don't think they're going to find anybody, especially if Ginny and Gareth won't give up any info." An edge crept into his voice. "This would be so much easier if I was allowed to look through their memories."

"Come on, Arcturus." Kay rested a hand on his arm. "You've seen the way Ginny looks at you. She thinks the world of Arthur, always battering you with questions and showing off her ideas. The last thing you want…" she took a deep breath, rephrasing her statement into a question. "Do you really want to break that trust? You can't get in without someone knowing what you did."

Arthur's shoulders loosened, but he sighed. "One would think if she trusted me so much she would tell me where the hell she's from at this point. Nothing from Gareth on your end?"

"Nothing new." Kay loosened the silk knot at her throat, rolling down the van window. "You know what bugs me, though? The way they keep their hair shaved. Reminds me way too much of Lewis."

Arthur glanced at her, sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Like how he insisted on dying his hair, hoping it would keep him from being recognized. I mean, both of them have kept their heads practically hairless this whole time. It could be just a phase, but…" she shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Yeah. I get it." Arthur shifted his gaze forward. "The thing is, I have a whole stack of little details just like that about those two that bugs me and I don't get to do anything about it." The corner of his mouth pulled up. "But I guess I'll stop. Artie's making it loud and clear he's sick of sorting through those details right now." Arthur's right hand left the steering wheel, his fingers weaving through hers. "We missed you."

She squeezed his hand back, settling back into her seat. The rest of the ride passed in companionable silence.

The van pulled up to the base of the cliffs and Arthur put it in park. Kay climbed out, sprouting and plucking a feather out of habit. Picking her way a few yards down the base of the cliff, she chose one of the smaller holes. It was her favorite path, a major pain for the first five minutes of crawling before opening up nicely for the rest of the tunnel. She set the plume down in the mouth and wiggled inside, pushing the bucket of chicken ahead. Behind, Arthur grunted, his prosthetic scraping along the stone.

Before too long, the tunnel opened up enough for Kay to stand at a stoop. She offered Arthur a hand up and the two of them made their way up the slope, which coiled back around itself to the cliff face several yards up.

Kay plopped down, tugging Arthur down next to her and shoving the chicken at him. "Your turn to hold it. I think I'm going to smell like chicken for the next 24 hours."

The smile reached all the way to his eyes, melting her even before he signed, **You won't smell like chicken. You always smell like the ocean.** He fingered the silk square around her neck, tugging it gently.

Nobody else was around. She undid the knot, tucking the silk into her pocket. There wasn't much she could do about the scars on her lips, but scarves and silks around her neck cut back the number of curious stares. Few people asked, but she didn't even want to think about it. She hated the constant reminder. But Arthur…

His fingers were at the back of her neck, drawing her closer. His lips brushed over her neck, addressing each scar. Goosebumps rolled up her arms. It was hard to remember how much she hated her scars when he was kissing them so tenderly.

In a few minutes they would share a meal, blowing off steam about the last three days and catching up about Dib and the shop. In half an hour, Kay would wing her way out over the ocean, singing as long and as hard as she could so she could retain control over her voice in day-to-day life among humankind. Later that evening they would go back to their new rental home, away from prying eyes and friendly banter alike.

But for now, there was just Arthur and his mouth, working its way up to hers. She caught his lips and leaned into the kiss. It was going to be like this forever, and she couldn't have asked for a better way to live out her life.

…...

 **Note:** KICKING INTO GEAR, YES. I have settled into my new home. I am thrilled to finally launch this fic. Couple things. I don't intend to do any lemony scenes but I will likely pull "camera pans away" on occasion. I don't intend to make Dib a major player in this fic so it does not merit the "crossover" category. Mature rating is for intense imagery and violence, as per usual. If you can, consider supporting me on (pat reon)! If you can't, thank you for reading anyway! Chapter title excerpted from Ordinary Miracle by Sarah Mclachlan.


	2. Waste Your Days With Thinking

**Note:** First a bit of business. I got stuck when I looked at this chapter and freaked out and shut down. But instead of staying there, I worked it out with my friend, admin of The Rise and Fall of Nickelodian on Facebook who helped me brainstorm out a bunch of stuff. Due to character consistency needs, I'm redacting the "It's been one year" statement. **It has not been a year, it has been 3-4 months since the events of Flaws wrapped up.** My apologies to Kay and Arthur, who could have used the extra downtime, but Arthur's too smart for his own good and there's no way a year of him not figuring things out is remotely believable.

…...

Potatoes. Someone was definitely grilling potatoes. Sliced or hashed, he wasn't sure yet, but that was definitely potatoes. Onions too? Onions, dash of cinnamon. Ham? Ham and cheddar. Definitely hash browns, and fully loaded by the smell of it.

Arthur rolled himself up to a sitting position, rubbing his right eye. Where… bed. Okay, bed. Bed and… a decent night's sleep. The fuzz began to lift from his thoughts. No nightmares, so no interruptions to his sleep. Always harder to get up from deep, sustained REM sleep, but no way was he missing out on Kay's potatoes.

Stumbling out of bed, he groped for the closet door, fumbling for the light switch. Light switch. Light… right, no arm on that side.

 _You sigh, wheeling yourself around and marching back to the shelf where you keep your prosthetic. You can be so pathetic sometimes, it is irritating. You take the prosthetic and click it in place, bracing for the shock that connection produces._

Gritting his teeth, Arthur returned to the closet, the remainder of the fog burned off by the mental switch. He was not a baby and being groggy in the morning was normal. He did not appreciate unnecessary intrusions. Not everything had to be completely efficient all the time.

Once dressed, he headed over to the kitchen. It was a small house, "cozy" according to the ad they'd answered, but it was enough for now. Rent was decent, and with their combined pay from the good Doctor Membrane and Kingsmen Mechanics, they'd be able to save for a really nice place a few years down the line. That was the plan, anyway.

He passed by Kay, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

"Good morning to you too." She turned her head, watching him for a minute.

He smiled. **You know if you waited a little longer I could make breakfast for once.**

"Are you kidding? You use so much salt in every dish that there's no subtlety left! If you want to make the coffee that's fine, but leave cooking to the professional."

Offering a mock salute, Arthur set the kettle boiling. By "coffee" she really meant "mocha," and though he was no barista, he'd picked up the trick of her favorite with a little practice. Hot cocoa mix spiked with a spoonful of instant coffee, plus a little hazelnut creamer did the trick. Usually Arthur needed his coffee black for the caffeine kick, but thanks to Kay's serenade, he'd had enough sleep to mellow his coffee out to something more enjoyable, too.

 _You glance at the pan where she is making breakfast. "That's a lot of food," you observe carefully._

 _"Yeah. Ginny and Gareth will be over soon, remember?"_

 _No, you didn't remember. You run your hand through your hair and pull the kettle off the stove, filling it with more water. Two mochas plus two hot cocoas._

Artie chewed his lip, probing cautiously. He didn't want to spook Arcturus, but maybe, if he asked the right questions, he could get some information this time. Like _why_ the twins bothered him so much

 _Or you could mind your own business and re-run_ what _we know about the twins for analysis. See if you can figure out anything new and quit asking why._

Artie rolled his eyes. Well, there went that attempt.

The twins, well. Dropped themselves off at Kingsmen Mechanics about four months back while Arthur and Kay were still trying to pull themselves back together in Dib's underground laboratory. Weird thing number one was that none of the crew found it strange for the twins to show up and start working on cars with them. The kids weren't mechanical gurus, but wherever they came from definitely had taught them their stuff and they could hold their own on easier projects. Still, Lance was the only one crying foul by the time they came back. Arthur _knew_ the guys at the shop and none of them would have just shuffled work off, especially on kids who showed up unannounced and unattended.

Footsteps pounded up the porch steps as Arthur considered the second weird thing, that Lance had switched from railing that the kids needed to stay the hell out of his shop to taking them into his home. Granted, when Lance and Arthur tailed them to the forested area and saw they were sleeping in a tree, it had hit Lance pretty hard. Still, instead of turning them over to the state, he'd gotten the paperwork to formally foster them until their parents could be found.

A flurry of knocks hit the front door like hail.

Lance wasn't a parent. He did what he had to when Arthur needed him, and Arthur was grateful for his uncle, but Lance had never wanted kids. It never sat well with Arthur that he'd pulled this move so soon after meeting the twins.

He opened the front door, forcing a smile as he braced for the third weird thing.

"Hiya Mister Artie!" Ginny bounced on her toes, grinning from ear to ear. Behind her, Gareth ducked his head, offering a little smile and a peek from the corner of his eyes. They stood at the same height and had the same build-without their hair they'd be indistinguishable at a distance until puberty-and the same light brown skin tone. The only difference close up was that Ginny's eyes were bottle green while Gareth's shone sky blue.

From where he stood at the front door, he could pick out the individual scent of the discarded ends of the onion Kay had chopped. The smell of the lemon tree out front was different than the smell of the neighbor's Jacaranda tree. The bark smelled different than the leaf, than the blossom. Kay smelled like the ocean, but also like freshly cooked foods and a good sweat. And yet no matter how close the twins came, he couldn't pick up a single scent off them.

This troubled Arcturus more than any other out-of-place detail Artie picked up. Even if he wasn't able to match a name to the scent, there should be a scent of some kind. Even ghosts had faint residual smells generated by their memories and emotions. He couldn't even pick up a whiff of what they were feeling. These two were almost certainly hiding from someone, and not just by shaving their heads. If they had masked their scent, whoever was looking for them was unlikely to be human. Or the kids themselves were not human. Or they knew more about Arcturus than they let on, and he was the one they were hiding something from.

Arthur forced a smile, swinging the door open and gesturing inside. There was no way to figure out which option was plausible with Arcturus still clamming up every time Artie poked something sensitive.

Ginny paused, her smile fading. "Hey, you okay today?"

Faking it got him past Ginny about as well as it got him past Kay-never. He dropped the smile, rolling his shoulders in a weary shrug.

"Sorry. Guess you're still having bad dreams, huh?" Ginny patted his arm. "Give 'em enough time and the scary will wear off. That's what Dad always says."

Gareth entered the house, landing an elbow to Ginny's ribs as he passed. Arthur pursed his lips as Ginny rubbed her side, coughing. "Yeah, so, it always gets better over time. Hey, are those hash browns?"

 **And cocoa,** Arthur signed absently.

"My favorite!" Ginny squealed, darting over to the table. "Do you have some extra, Miss Kay?"

"Made extra 'cause I knew you were coming. What do you take me for, a rude host?" Kay grinned. "Almost done. You know where the plates are, set them out for me?"

Beaming, Gareth headed for the cupboard.

Arthur pulled the kettle off the stove as the first notes of the whistle sounded and began mixing mochas and cocoas.

 _You resent having to worry about who they are and where they come from. It's a waste of energy to worry, you want to_ do _something about it. If they are hiding from someone, that someone could come after you. Or Kay. Or Vivi. Lewis. Any of the people you care about could be at risk, and you just managed some semblance of peace. It's unfair._

Kay began scraping out portions of hash brown onto each plate. "So, what's got you stumped this week?"

"Well, Gareth wants to check his paper on the Langle book with you, Miss Kay, and I need help with PEMDAS."

Frowning, Gareth signed with short, jerky motions. **A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I can tell Miss Kay myself.**

"My way's faster."

 **Is not!** **Look. Miss Kay, I need help with my-**

"Paper on the Langle book."

Arthur snapped his fingers to get Ginny's attention. Frowning, he signed, **That's really rude.**

Ginny's head drooped and she fixed her eyes on her plate, sullenly picking up a fork.

Arthur took a seat across from Kay, between Ginny and Gareth.

A quiet snap drew his attention over to Gareth. **How are you Mister Artie?**

Arthur held his hand out palm down and wiggled it from side to side. **So-so.**

 **Did you find a cure for your sickness yet?**

Arthur winced. There was no way to easily explain to the kids, or to the guys at the shop for that matter, why he could only talk sometimes and why, when he did, his eyes changed color. There was no way to hand wave the noticeable personality changes the occurred when he spoke, either. Arthur had settled on calling it a complicated illness, a very rare undiagnosed disease that had attracted the interest of Membrane Inc. This helped explain his sudden connections with such a prestigious institution and gave him an out when Arcturus wasn't on his best behavior, but he couldn't shake the fear that the lie would somehow catch up with him.

He shook his head.

"You know, maybe if you told us some more about it, we could find a cure." Ginny poked her hash browns with the fork. "We're pretty smart. I mean, we couldn't figure it out right now but I'm sure we could in like, a year or two. I know that stuff takes time."

With a sigh, Arthur lifted his hands to thank her and deflect, but _you consider for a moment. This is the fourth time she's brought up the question. Not, of course, that they could ever cure the problem that is beyond their capacity to deal with, but here is something she really wants to know and that is leverage. You really want to know about who they are and where they come from. They want to know about the "illness". You don't have to disclose everything, but you can disclose a few grains of truth. If they start to get wise, you can scatter in some falsehood and they won't know the difference. Just propose an exchange of information._

 _You glance at Kay. She is watching you, her lips a tight line. She doesn't know what you're thinking, but she knows how to read your face when you're planning. You offer a smile, probably harder-edged than you intend. You clear your throat._

 _"You are very smart." You have their undivided attention whenever you speak. It's unnerving to see their eyes move in unison like that. "And who knows, maybe you could find a cure, but it's rather unfair of you to ask me for information that's very private when you won't offer similar information that could allow us to help you."_

 _You turn your eyes down to your plate and focus on your food, letting the point sit there. The hash browns are delicious. Kay truly learned from the best. Silence stretches out around you as the food disappears, bite by bite, from your plate. Don't lift your head, don't look at them. Let them glare and kick each other under the table and wrestle it out in silence._

 _"So can we go to Tome Tomb to study?" Ginny pipes up. "Gareth's being a bother today."_

 _You glance up to see Gareth glaring daggers at his sister. Ginny's expression isn't much happier. Her arms are crossed tight and she hasn't even touched the cocoa._

 _So. Gareth keeps her in check. You glance at Kay and raise one eyebrow. She nods. You stand, gathering empty and partially empty plates. "Sure. I'll drop you back at Uncle Lance's after."_

…...

 **Note:** If you enjoy Gareth being a nag and Ginny being a mule, please consider supporting me on (Pat reon). Chapter title excerpted from Move Along by All American Rejects.


	3. Take It Slow

Kay took the dishes as Gareth handed them to her, scraping bits into the trash and loading plates into the dishwasher. She didn't bother talking yet. Gareth wasn't like Arthur. He had yet to speak a word to her and if she wasn't looking right at him she'd miss what he had to say.

He would turn and respond if someone called his name from behind, so he wasn't deaf. Beyond that, Kay hadn't worked out if he'd just given up talking or wasn't able to speak. Asking usually prompted a mischievous smile and the playfully signed response, **What's your guess this time, Miss Kay?**

There was no smile today, though. His brows were pulled in tight and his jaw set hard as he handed her the last of the silverware and grabbed a sponge from the sink, scrubbing the counter with short, hard strokes.

Kay waited a couple minutes for a good amount of suds to build up before coming in behind with a fresh dishtowel, wiping the countertop dry. "Thanks for the help. Is something off with Ginny? I haven't seen you two snipe at each other like that."

Gareth rolled his shoulders in a shrug, tossing the sponge back in the sink and trudging to the small living room. He fished around in his backpack, pulling out a notebook and a dog-eared paperback, sitting at the far end of the couch.

Kay couldn't help a wide smile. "Oh, that one! I wasn't sure which of her books you were reading. That's one of my favorites."

Relief softened Gareth's frown and he peeked up, sheepish, setting the books in his lap to sign, **Glad to hear you say that. Don't like essay assignments and could use some help.**

"What's the essay prompt?" Kay took the opposite end of the couch and lifted the book from his lap, thumbing through the worn pages of _A Wrinkle In Time_. Used. Probably from the library. Initialed C. K. by a previous owner. Highlighted some, heavily notated in smudged pencil. This book had been well-loved. She glanced back at him.

 **Teacher didn't care what book we had, just said pick one and discuss influence of family structure on the main character's decisions.**

"Hmm." Kay dropped her eyes back down to the pages for a moment. "Interesting choice. You're going with Meg, I assume?"

 **Well yeah. She's the main character.**

"True, she's the central character, but it could be argued that Charles Wallace and Calvin had equal importance and each would be impacted by family structure differently. Which one do you identify more with?"

He squinted at her. **It matters who I identify with?**

"Well it makes writing an essay easier, that's for sure. You tend to pick up things you might not otherwise notice because you say to yourself, 'that's me!' It gives you that unique perspective on the story that your teacher is probably looking for."

Rolling his eyes, Gareth signed, **My teacher is just looking for three grammatically correct pages vaguely proving I read a book.**

Kay snorted. "Okay, sure, but obviously you're taking it more seriously or you wouldn't be asking me. So, which one do you identify most with?"

He leaned back on the couch, chewing on his lip. **Probably Meg, still.**

Kay raised an eyebrow, but grinned. "Let me guess. Oldest child, right?"

He snorted. **Good guess, Miss Kay.**

"Anything else you see in Meg?" She dangled the book in front of him.

He took it, eyeing her cautiously.

"What about the outlook on parents?" She leaned back, tilting her head to the side. "People around them think Meg was abandoned by her father, that he ran off with someone else, or maybe died."

 **But he didn't. He traveled too far and was captured. Meg's parents care about her. She only questions it when she's hurting.**

Kay lifted her chin, choosing her words carefully. "Something else you identify with?"

Gareth's eyes softened. **Yeah.** He blinked. **Wait. Did you think we have bad parents?**

Shaking her head, Kay responded, "We can't know, Gareth. You don't talk about it."

 **What do you and Mister Arthur think about us?**

"We think you're good kids. Smart. We have no idea where you came from, but it's pretty obvious to us you're hiding something, or hiding _from_ someone. The sad truth is, the first guess tends to be 'Did the parents do something worth running from?'"

Gareth's head whipped back and forth so hard Kay thought it might snap off. **No. Don't ever think that. Our parents are good. The best. We miss-** he brought his hand up to his mouth for a moment, drawing in a shaky breath. After a moment, he resumed. **We miss them all the time.** He brushed his fingers across the cover of the book, looking at her with pleading eyes. **Just like Meg.**

Kay scooted closer. "I bet they miss you too."

The corner of Gareth's mouth crooked and he shook his head. **Not possible. I like you, Miss Kay, but I don't want to talk about parents anymore. I just didn't want you to think badly of them.**

Kay put her hands up. "Okay. Sorry." No more information on that front. But if his parents were so great, how could they not miss their kids? She filed it away. Even little bits of info could help if she got enough of them. "So let's look at what you know about Meg. You know sometimes she wonders if she really was abandoned. How do her doubts mess with her decisions?"

…..

"Freon's out again, huh? Or something else?"

Arthur grimaced as he cranked the van window open. The AC was cutting in and out. Had been for the past two weeks. Anytime he had to take Ginny somewhere for Lance, she brought it up. Angling to get her hands in the van's workings and see if she could fix it, no doubt.

 _You can't sign with your hands on the wheel, so you respond on behalf of Artie, "The van's maintenance is not something I trust anyone else with. Your interest is appreciated, but it will be fixed when I have time and energy to do so."_

"You don't have to be huffy about it," Ginny muttered, slouching in her seat. "You'd let me work on it if you trusted me more."

 _Your eyes narrow. "You sound quite sure about that, don't you? Enlighten me why I am supposed to trust you. I've been given little reason to over the last few months."_

 _Silence. You glance sidelong at her and are cut to the quick by the sheen in her eyes. Did you wound her? You did not intend to. She's very young and perhaps there was too much venom in your tone. Things like this are why people find hard to accept Arthur as whole. You clear your throat, attempting to soften the words while keeping their point. "Ginny, I've seen some very difficult and painful things this year. Trust doesn't come easy to me anymore, and you and your brother continue keeping secrets and behaving in a very suspicious manner. You seem like a…" you reach for words. You broke children, you didn't praise them. Artie supplies the words and you speak them, nearly script-like. "Fun… loving… smart… kid. I like… your spunk… and your enthusiasm for cars... but I don't do well when people keep secrets from me."_

Hypocrite.

 _Ignoring Artie now, you turn into the driveway of Tome Tomb's little parking lot. "So, would you be willing to exchange some information with me, Ginny? I'll tell you a little bit about this illness if you tell me a little something about you and your brother."_

 _She frowns, sticking her chin out. "I didn't say I was going to tell you anything. I just wanted to get away from Gareth. He's being a butt."_

Artie parked the van, grinning as Arcturus stormed to the back of his mind. **Fair enough. You want to spend some time with Chloe while I catch up with Vivi for a bit? Then we can work through whatever's hanging you up.**

"PEMDAS," she said, a touch brighter now. "Yeah, I'll visit Chloe."

Twirling his keys, Arthur walked her up to the door. Once inside, Ginny vanished toward the back of the shop. Arthur ducked around the desk, parting the bead curtain that separated the shop from the employee area, and cleared his throat loudly.

A heavy sigh echoed down the hall, followed by a muffled giggle, whispers, then footsteps. Vivi swung out of a room at the end of the hall, a big smile on her face. "Squire! Hey!"

The smile was infectious and Arthur opened his arms to receive her hug.

"Good to see ya. Kay come too?"

 _You speak aloud so that Lewis is forewarned. "No Kay. I brought Ginny, though."_

"Gotcha. Keep things on the down-low." Vivi winked. "I'm sure our local poltergeist will take a break from knocking books off the shelf and rattling the windows to say hi when Ginny's not looking."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Vivi's gambit with Tome Tomb was risky, to say the least. Advertising as a local "friendly haunted bookstore" with pony rides certainly gave her the niche bookstore advantage. It also caused Arthur no end of anxiety that she was hiding a ghost, five small spirits, and a unicorn in plain sight.

"Any new leads on the rugrats?"

Arthur shook his head with a sigh.

"Eh, don't stress too much about it. You'll figure it out eventually. Mean time, you'd better cook up a good excuse for why you haven't been by in a while. Chloe's mad that you skipped your last two lessons."

 _You wince. This insistence Artie has about transparent communication is starting to rub off on you if you're unable to come up with a believable lie. He swears it would solve the issue if you just explained things to Chloe yourself and then you could decide together on a work-around for your… concerns._

 _"I do need to speak to Chloe. However, I also promised Ginny some help with her math. I don't suppose…?"_

 _Vivi made a face. "Yeah, sure, ask the high-school flunk-out to tutor."_

 _You frown. "According to our memory, you were not that bad. You passed all your classes. It just took you a few tries."_

 _Her smile is positively wicked. "Why Arcturus, how sweet."_

 _"Get over yourself." You push past her, bristling from the syrupy tone._

 _"Ah ah ah, better let me handle this." Vivi glides ahead of you, leading the way toward the back._

 _Several shelves have been removed to make way for a semi-enclosed stall filling the back third of the store. The whole building smells of sweet hay tinged by the harsh scent of faucet water. It is a far cry from the velvet stall and meadow moss of her herd's enclosure, but she got to choose this._

 _Chloe holds her head low enough for Ginny to stroke her muzzle. There is no horn to be seen on her forehead and her tail appears to be a tightly braided cord of horsehair. She whickers softly, like any horse would, as Ginny mutters to her about what a jerk Gareth is being today. A simple blue-rope halter hangs off Chloe's muzzle, trailing a rope loosely coiled around a peg in the wall. You snort. As if Chloe couldn't rip it free and trample her enclosure flat if she so chose._

 _"Hey, Ginny! Long time no see." Vivi leans on the chest-high wall, peering over. "Arthur says you guys are here for a study session. Mind if I pinch-hit for him? My knee is acting up and he owes me a favor, so I'm gonna send him out to give our mascot some exercise."_

 _Ginny hesitates, looking over to you. Is that concern?_ Arthur smiled. **Don't worry, Vivi's a great teacher. She learned the material several times.** He winked at Vivi, who stuck her tongue out at him. **I could use the fresh air. I was stuck in the shop all week.**

She was still looking at him. Lines formed under her eyes and her gaze shifted around. Arthur's smile faltered. **Is something wrong?**

The lines vanished and Ginny turned away. "Nope, I'm good." Squaring her shoulders, she left the stall and smiled at Vivi. "You good with PEMDAS?"

Vivi snorted. "Kid, I've been Excusing My Dear Aunt Sally since before you were born. C'mon, we can use the front desk."

As the two of them made their way to the front, Arthur edged around the stall and grabbed the very end of the lead rope, unwinding it from the wall. His skin prickled, every hair standing on end, and his bones began to ache. He backed up a few feet, but now Chloe's attention was on him, now, her ears lowered in irritation.

 _Kay may have her mother's propensity for languages but Chloe hasn't picked up a smidge of ASL so you must speak to her. You wish Artie could do it for you. "So, shall we? Outside?"_

 _You have a clear shot to the door at the back of her stall, but it would bring you quite close to her. Her eyes flick from you to the door and back again. She jerks her head, gesturing for you to go._

 _Must you spell it out?_

Just do it.

 _You take a deep breath. "Could you step back further? I need more space to get to the door."_

 _The corners of her mouth pull back and her ears tilt a few degrees closer to flat. Shaking her mane, she takes one deliberate step back, drilling you with those golden eyes. You won't be getting more space than that._

 _You step into the enclosure. You keep to the very edge of the space as you inch around toward the door, your bones groaning and your veins buzzing. Sweat breaks out on your forehead as you grasp the door handle-a rear exit expanded to accommodate the passage of a horse-and swing it open. You nearly bolt out ahead of her, keeping to the very end of the lead line as if it is you, and not her, attached to the rope._

 _She ambles through, nudging the door shut with her back hoof. Already at the outskirts of town, Tome Tomb's only neighbors are windowless warehouses a few lots away to either side. The back lot of the building has been converted to a fenced-in dirt run. You must take care to maintain appearances in case of unexpected customer visits, or if Ginny bursts around the corner, so you take up a position in the center of the lot as she trots in a circle around you._

 _Ten feet and all the hair on your body still stands on end. This is not good._

 _"You're acting weird," she mutters, her hooves striking the ground harder than necessary. "And you skipped lessons. You said you'd teach me every week. Uso tsuki."_

 _You don't have it in you to snarl, your muscles are too tense and your heart is racing. You find yourself reaching to Artie for reassurance._

She won't hurt us. You have to tell her what's going on.

 _Swallowing, you murmur, "Let me see your horn."_

 _"What does that have to do with anything?"_

 _"Call it a warm-up. Let me see it, then I will explain."_

 _Her lips move as she recites in reverse. You do not know much about unicorns, but it is unlikely that any deception or disguise magic comes naturally to them. For this reason you started by teaching her external spellcasting with an emphasis on glamour, which as far as we can tell costs her about as much energy as a strenuous two hour work out each day. Omission of certain features is, perhaps, the easiest and least costly spell next to minor feature changes. And so, with those two you taught her to cloak the existence of her horn and cause her lion-like tail to appear as full horsehair._

 _Now the cloaking spell drops away. You recall a memory fragment from the time of the Shiker. Before harvesting, her horn was a sleek, symmetrical weapon the length of a man's arm. Now it is a twisted, off-center spar with a strange, jagged seam that spirals from tip to base. Extra bone growths jut from around the base. It is not at its full length, yet, but is well over halfway there._

 _Your stomach churns and you drop your eyes from her horn to her hooves, a safer place to stare. "We have been having some difficulty being near you, lately," you admit, watching the dust fly up around each step. "You have recovered quite thoroughly and seem to be growing stronger by the day. We estimate your horn will be at full length in another couple of months and you have not even finished the growth of your frame into adulthood."_

 _"What does that have to do with being near me?"_

 _You are silent a moment, then you ask, "You still see me as the Shiker, don't you?"_

 _She does not answer, kicking up a larger cloud of dust as she accelerates to a canter. The pounding drums up through the soles of your feet._

 _"Vivi has probably instructed you not to say so, but it's obvious. You may as well answer me." You tense, bracing yourself._

 _She snorts. Her hooves are leaving deeper impact marks in the dirt. "Yes."_

 _You knew this. It does not shake your determination of who you are. She is wrong. She is wrong. You are not the Shiker._

No, you're not. Deep breaths. Refocus. Explain.

 _It is strange to lean on Artie's strength to complete this task, but you find yourself doing just this as you continue. "What I've taught you about magic applies. The words of a spell may give a form to what you want to do or your natural magic may do the same, but your will and intentions direct it. As best we can work out, every time you see me, you see an enemy. It is unconscious, but your natural magic is responding."_

 _"Responding how?"_

 _Here it is. Are you sure about this?_

Tell her.

 _Artie has far too much faith in those around us. You hope it will not get us killed. Your breath whistles through clenched teeth. "Coming in close range of you hurts. I am in pain by five feet, uncomfortable at ten. I expect the range to expand in coming weeks as you gain strength. One of the few commonly known natural magics of your kind is repelling evil, and whether that is defined by what you perceive as evil or defined by the remains of the one who did you wrong trapped inside this body, I am having difficulty being near you. That is why I have been skipping lessons recently."_

 _The canter slows to a trot and then to a halt. You force yourself to continue._

 _"Whatever hostility you have toward me is fueling an unconscious act of your natural magic. It would only take a careless flare-up to weaponize it outward. You have already done this once, at Dib's labs. You could have killed me that day."_

 _The hooves turn toward you and take two steps. Your skin crawls and you take a step back, but hers are longer and she draws closer. Stumbling, you back away, dropping the lead-line. You reach for flames to impede her, perhaps a show of strength. Or even... you consider shifting your legs longer so you can run-_

No. He needed to show her what she was doing to him. Arthur sagged to his knees, giving a low cry as the skin-crawling gave way to biting, burning sensations. Immediately the hooves stopped, backpedaling. Warm hands clamped over his shoulders.

"Art-Arthur. Are you okay? Chloe!"

"Gomen… gomenasai…"

The voice by Arthur's ear was low with disappointment. "Chloe, your horn is showing. Cover that up before someone charges out to pet you. You know, with the spell Arthur taught you."

Head down, Chloe plodded to the far end of the lot, her lips moving. The large hands pulled Arthur up to his feet and turned him around to face Lewis, who brushed the dust off Arthur. "I shouldn't have to remind her how much you've helped her blend in where that usually isn't possible."

Arthur gripped Lewis' hand, unsteady. Lewis peered at him. "That took a lot for you to say, didn't it? It's nice to see the old transparency shining through."

 _"A lot of good it did us," you mutter. Your heart is still pounding and you tremble. "All we did was hand her a particularly sharp knife, instruct her on precision usage, and ask her to kindly not stab us with it. And then she traced the edge around our throat."_

 _Lewis squeezes your shoulder. "I'm sure it won't be like that forever. She stopped as soon as she saw she was hurting you."_

 _"You think that wasn't a moment of shame that you caught her doing that?" you mutter._ Arthur took a moment to steady himself, lifting his hands. **Either way, thanks for stepping in. And it's good to see you.**

"Yeah, well. You too."

It warmed Arthur to hear those words spoken without grudging pause. He glanced over at Chloe, pacing the far fence with her head down. **Do you think she'll ever move past it? It wasn't me.**

"Well. I moved on. And I had to contend with it actually being your face. This," Lewis gestured at Arthur from head to toe. "Never harvested her. But you have to know, Artie, it isn't something everybody's going to get. Even those of us who know what's happened to you, not all of us know what to do with it."

Shoulders drooping, Arthur nodded grimly. It wasn't fair, but it's what he had to deal with now.

"Oh wipe that woe-is-me look off your face." Lewis socked his shoulder, but lightly. "I'd dig for details on how Kay is, but gotta take my own advice. No telling when your half of the runaway team will come barrelling out, and all she'd better see is you and a regular draft horse."

Arthur glanced up to Lewis. **Hey. Lew. Those two, you've seen them when I bring them visiting? Vivi told you my concerns, right? What do you think?**

Lewis' hair prickled. "I think you're right. Something is off. I can't tell you what, though."

Arthur scratched his sideburns, thinking. **What about a Deadbeat spy? Can you have one of them tail the twins for a few days? Maybe they talk to each other about stuff?**

"Maybe. I'll see what I can do." The corners of Lewis' eyesockets turned up. "Good to see you, Arthur. Come by more."

Grinning, Arthur waved as Lewis plunged through the wall. He turned back to Chloe and approached, his steps slow. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Frowning, he tried again.

 _No. You do not want to speak to her further._

Groaning, Arthur waved, trying to get Chloe's attention. Pointing to his mouth, he gestured as if zipping it shut, then shrugged.

Chloe regarded him for an uncomfortable length of time, allowing him to squirm in his shoes a little, before addressing him. "If this is getting to be a problem, bakaken, you'd better show me how to control it. Make up my lessons tomorrow, out by Dib's lab."

Arthur winced. He didn't want to leave Kay for a few days when she'd just gotten back herself. Truth be told, though, he owed Dib some lab work and he certainly owed Chloe a proper lesson.

She continued, ignoring his reaction. "That way nobody's watching and you have plenty of space to stay away. Besides. I want to visit Duet."

Well. It wasn't optimal, and he'd have Dib breathing down his neck about satellite imagery in the desert, but Arthur had come to suspect people weren't really scanning desert images looking for a unicorn doing magic training and that some things Dib yelled about were just Dib being paranoid.

He nodded in agreement, then drew closer and picked up the end of the lead rope with the tips of his fingers, giving a gentle tug. Chloe dipped her head once and followed his lead, giving him a much more generous berth than before.

 _"If you're going to be traveling to the desert alone," you say, hesitantly, "You'll need another spell. I doubt you'll make it far if you don't have a rider, so let's discuss casting a slightly larger illusion."_

…...

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Heathens by Twenty One Pilots. If you enjoy the characters working out their uneasiness, please consider checking out my (pat reon)!


	4. You're Not Alone

Silence was carved in the set of Arthur's jaw as he entered the house. Struggle swirled green and brown in his eyes; there would be no peace in his dreams tonight. Kay could read the signs at a glance and even her touch failed to draw him from his internal wrestling. Matching his silence, she guided him back to the living room and popped Finding Nemo into the DVD player. She prepared two bowls of popcorn, drizzling extra butter over them, and curled up next to Arthur on the couch, setting one bowl in his lap. A final check for subtitle settings, then she hit the mute button and started the movie.

His eyes drifted up to the screen. As the opening scene played, the lines in his face softened and brown reclaimed his irises. As the tiny clownfish rushed in to defend his mate from the hungry barracuda, Arthur slipped his hand into Kay's, and she released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Five minutes later, when Arthur finally noticed the bowl of popcorn on his lap and began digging in, Kay allowed herself to relax, laying her head on his shoulder.

Kid's movies, he'd told her. It was weird, but as much as he loved a good action flick or drama, it was really well done kid's movies that helped him unwind and shake off a hard day, even before Arcturus. Either that, or getting his hands on a project, but he'd been gone most of the day with Ginny and Kay wanted some time with him now. Just about every movie had music, but just about every movie these days had subtitles, too, so it was a simple work-around for Kay to enjoy films alongside Arthur.

His popcorn vanished at a rapid pace now, and she tilted her bowl over to refill his. She'd had a late lunch with Gareth at the Paradiso before dropping him off at Lance's, so she wasn't that hungry. As the movie progressed, he leaned back into her, and she adjusted to cradle him against her chest.

All too soon, the credits rolled. Arthur sighed, taking her hand and squeezing it in silent thanks.

Everything about him was looser, and Kay decided to risk conversation. "No problem. How'd it go with Ginny?"

He shook his head, crunching his shoulders up to his ears and dropping them. "No leads," he muttered bitterly. "She played me to get away from Gareth."

"That's why you're a coiled spring?"

Arthur shifted upright, turning to face her so he could sign. **That and Chloe rattled Arcturus pretty bad.**

"You finally told her?" Kay didn't hide her surprise. Every time she'd brought it up to Arthur, Arcturus had heatedly denied that honesty would be helpful in this case.

 **Yeah, he caved. Still thinks it was a bad idea, but it worked. Chloe's mad, but less aggressive and keeps more distance. But now I have to make up lessons with Chloe tomorrow, out by Dib's.**

Kay's eyes dropped to her lap. "Oh." She tried to brace against the disappointment. She'd hoped for a few more days with him before one of them had to head out. Dib had plans in the works to build an auxiliary lab beneath the Paradiso and install a transporter between the two sites, but that was going to take at least another year. "Okay."

Arthur caught her hands in his and kissed her fingers, sneaking a glance up at her. His silent apology cut her, and she gathered him closer in her arms. "Do what you have to. Just hurry… please hurry home when you can."

He bobbed his head affirmatively.

"Is that all that was bothering you?"

Arthur tensed in her embrace, his fingertips digging into her arms, and she didn't have to see his face to know he was wrestling with himself again.

"It…" his voice came out in a rasp. "It is difficult. To be around the twins. I am… I mean, he-the Shiker-he was… seeing them is like..." A shudder traveled up his spine. He hid his face in her shoulder, muffling his voice. "I think we made a good decision about kids."

Kay squeezed him tighter. That decision had hurt Artie the most. The part of Arthur that existed before Arcturus had admitted to wanting to be a dad and hoped desperately that he could be a good one. But neither Arcturus nor Kay could see their way to it being the right decision. For her part, Kay wasn't eager to mother in the only style she'd seen modeled, much less bring more sirens into a world not built for them, while Arcturus…

He feared that with children so close underfoot all the time, he might return to the roots of the monster that made him. This he had shared with Kay, under the condition that she not tell Lewis. He couldn't bear it, he said, if he lost the hard-won trust he'd rebuilt with his friend. Once the decision had been made, Artie went dormant for two days, leaving Arcturus to handle everything. Arcturus was bewildered at Artie's grief, asking Kay how could you grieve what you never had to begin with. She didn't have an answer for him.

The twins seemed totally unaware of his distress. Likely for the best. Kay had seen them at the shop, Ginny with her barrage of questions for Arthur and constant pleas for the more intensive hands-on training that Lance withheld. Gareth only observed, silently copying Arthur's motions to himself. As much as possible, Arcturus remained silent, forcing Artie to bob in and out of any given car's workings to sign answers to Ginny. He didn't seem to mind the extra effort, though. He thrived on teaching Ginny the simple beauty of the system under every hood and how one differed from the next. But time spent with them often cost Arthur. Arcturus still refused to disclose anything about the nightmares that cropped up after their visits. Not even Artie knew what they were about.

"Yeah," Kay whispered. "I know we made the right choice." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You dropped Ginny off with Lance?" At his nod, she stood, tugging on his arm. "Good. See, nothing terrible happened. Just another normal day. We should… can we go to bed? You look exhausted."

His eyes darted down. Her chest hurt for him. "Hey. I can hum for you. Maybe it'll help." Between Dib's experiments and her own frequent flights over the ocean, Kay regularly expended enough of her compulsions that she was able to sustain a low hum without needing to swell it to full song. It didn't always keep the nightmares at bay, but sometimes…

Arthur nodded, standing, and they made their way to the bathroom. Kay took comfort in the simple evening ritual of brushing her teeth and washing her face alongside him, brushing her hair as he shaved back the growth between his sideburns and soul-patch, and changing into comfy cotton PJ's as he slipped into loose gym shorts and disconnected his prosthetic for the night. Checking the calendar, she reached for a small blister-pack and downed a pill with a swallow of water, then followed him back to their room.

Usually Kay relished having Arthur behind her at night, his arm wound around her and her head tucked under his chin. The night seemed safer, the day less grinding in retrospect. In those moments, she found contentment and security. But some nights she wanted to make sure he felt that security, and tonight it was obviously needed. So she slipped under the covers behind him and wrapped her arm around his chest, nestled the bridge of her nose against the back of his neck, and called up a soft, soothing melody. The hum resonated through her chest and throat. She felt his body loosen, his breathing deepen. She closed her eyes, allowing the hum to continue, carrying them both into dreamless sleep.

She crashed to the floor, awakening dazed. Snarls and whimpers sounded from the bed and covers slid off the side.

Not so dreamless. She scrambled to her feet, fumbling for the bedside lamp. Arthur's spine was rigid, his head curled back as far as it would go and his teeth clenched. His face flushed red and veins stood out along his temple and neck. His fingers curled like claws, and his sharpened teeth were lined with red.

A moment. She had to take a moment, even now, to compose herself. Diving in thoughtlessly exacerbated everything. First, to keep him from expending energy he didn't have. Sharp teeth meant Arcturus felt threatened.

"Arthur," she called, softly weaving his name into a melody. "Arthur, don't shift. Nobody is attacking you."

Sweat rolled off his forehead and he opened his mouth to gulp air. The command set in, and his teeth flattened out. Kay deflected the guilt. They had talked about this. They had agreed, some commands could help him keep from doing damage to himself and others. He wasn't aware enough, yet, and she had to draw him out from the nightmare. She had to go slowly because he didn't always recognize her in the moments after he woke.

"Hear my voice, Arthur," she sang, calling to mind the security of being held and embraced and weaving it into her tone. "There is no danger. You are not alone. No one is coming to hurt you. No one is coming to tear everything apart."

His snarls decreased to whimpers, his spine still rigid.

"I'm right here, Arthur." She drew closer to the bed. She could not be sure which nightmares haunted him tonight, so she addressed the possibilities. "I'm alive and well. I love you, more than anything." She touched his shoulder with her fingertips. He stilled, and she could not tell if he was coiling to strike or listening. Breathing in slowly, deliberately, she continued. "Lewis is not angry with you. Aji is not trying to kill you. Dulcie is free. Demeter is long gone. The Shiker is no more."

At this last one, his spine released and he began to tremble, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. Most often it was an assurance that the Shiker was gone that freed him. Kay knelt next to him on the bed, gathering him into her arms.

He clutched at her, his eyes still closed, his chest heaving. "Mother," he whimpered. "Mother, it's dark."

There was nothing Kay could say. Arthur rarely spoke about his parents, but when he did he called them "Mom" and "Dad" like she did. "Mother" seemed to be someone else entirely, someone connected to Arcturus' past as the Shiker and connected to Mystery, but nothing could coax Arcturus into giving up that information and Mystery had been gone for months.

Arthur's head snapped to the side, his eyes flying open. Frozen green. His mouth twisted into a snarl, "Stop. Digging."

His hand gestured in sign, unintelligible without both arms.

"Stop!" Arthur wrenched away from Kay, rolling off the other side of the bed with a thunk. "It isn't important! It will never happen again, stop trying!"

Kay scrambled to the edge of the bed in time to see Arthur's right fist uppercut his chin.

"Stop!" she cried. He froze, his eyes wide and fixed on her. She slid off the edge and took his fist in her hands, uncurling it finger by finger. "Please," she added, softly. "Please don't hurt yourself."

Shame trickled into Arthur's expression and his eyes shut tight. Carefully, he pushed himself up to a sitting position and wrapped his arm around Kay, who allowed herself to be drawn into his embrace.

"I'm… we're sorry," he mumbled into her hair. "We don't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry."

She leaned into his embrace. "I'm not scared _of_ you, Arthur. I'm scared _for_ you. I…" she hesitated. Artie had been trying for months to get at information Arcturus had locked up. Kay stayed out of it, unwilling to harm Arthur by forcing his compliance, but she couldn't keep quiet about her fears forever. "Arcturus, I need to talk to you about this."

He tensed, and she squeezed her arms tighter. "I just want to talk, not command. Please."

As she pulled back, his mouth flattened into a line he regarded her with a half-lidded stare. She cupped his cheek, and the guard slipped a little, the corners of his mouth softening and his eyes darting to her hand. She wouldn't lose him to suspicion now, she needed him to hear her.

"I'm frightened that whatever you're holding back, Arcturus, is going to take a toll on Arthur's health."

Earnest green eyes stared at her in shock. "What? No! No, I'm keeping him safe! He can't… it's too much for him to take. It could wreck us, send us right back to that mindlessness, when we were little more than an animal. You have to believe me!" He caught her hand, winding his fingers through hers. "You do, don't you?"

She squeezed his hand. "I believe you honestly think you're protecting your selves, but you don't see what I'm seeing, Arcturus. I come back from Dib's lab and I see circles under your eyes. You and I do this at least twice a week because whatever you're hiding comes out in nightmares, and I don't even know what happens when I'm not here to pull you out. You won't see Dulcie and Chloe about this, you refuse to talk to anyone else about it, and yet you continue to expose yourself to the twins so it keeps coming up. Arcturus, something has to give," she pleaded. "And I don't want it to be Arthur's health or his sanity. There has to be some way you release whatever is still haunting you."

"I'm dealing with it," he said, harshly.

Kay bit her lip. "Please don't shout at me," she said quietly.

He dropped his head, burying his face in his hand. She scooted around to sit next to him, wrapping one arm around his waist. "At least…" she caught herself again. "Would you consider what I'm saying, Arthur? I'm asking you to think about it. I'm not ordering you to do anything, but I think that Artie is stronger than you think, and I'm here to guide you back from the edge." She pressed a kiss to his temple, slick with sweat. "Always."

He leaned into her arms, exhaling slowly. "I hear you. I'll think about it." She could hear no belligerence in his tone, only a frighteningly familiar weariness.

Smoothing his hair back, she kissed his temple again. "That's all I ask."

…...

There wasn't a day that went by that Lewis didn't wish, at least once, that he was alive and breathing again. He would have traded every ghostly advantage for a shot at an actual life with Vivi instead of this strange haunting she'd accepted. That being said, there were certainly advantages. Vivi might sleep like a rock, but even she would have woken up if he'd picked her up out of a chair before. Now, she merely grumbled and burrowed into his chest as he drifted down the back hall of Tome Tomb to the room she'd furnished. He laid her on the bed, drawing covers up around her, and sat on the edge of the mattress, stroking her hair.

He could do this all night, and often did. He didn't need sleep.

Reaching over to the leatherbound planner she kept by her bedside, he placed a checkmark in the center of that day's square. She'd taken the Lamictal today, but forgotten to mark it down. There were still mood spikes up and down, but two months in and things got a lot calmer. She'd fallen asleep at a reasonable time for the last three weeks and he counted that a major success.

Chittering broke in at the edge of his thoughts. His skull swiveled toward the window. Incoming Deadbeat, the one he'd assigned to tail Ginny home. He couldn't perceive its senses from that far off, but once it returned he'd be able to get the infodump he was looking for. Or rather, the one Arthur was looking for.

As it drew closer, Lewis sent another out to meet it and warn it to be quiet. He didn't want to wake Vivi now, she'd never get back to sleep. The incoming Deadbeat sobered, then planted itself firmly outside the window and gestured for Lewis to join it.

Arching an eye-socket, Lewis left Vivi's side and drifted through the wall. The Deadbeats did off things like that sometimes, acting with intelligence or making minor decisions that indicated some measure of will. It hadn't always been like that. Lewis wondered if he should bring it up with Arthur, but dismissed the thought. Best let the past lie unless it became absolutely necessary to dredge it up.

The Deadbeat chirped and laid its nubs on Lewis' forehead, transmitting its experiences. Lewis skimmed through Lance's greeting to Ginny and Gareth, past the all-too-silent dinner, then slowed down and focused on the twins as they entered Arthur's old room-now theirs.

 _ **What's with you today?**_ _Gareth signed with jerky motions._ _ **You know we don't mention parents.**_

 _"I didn't say anything wrong," Ginny said sullenly._

 _"_ _ **Give nightmares enough time and the scary will wear off, that's what Dad says." Sound familiar?**_

 _"It's not that big a deal! I didn't say who Dad was."_

 _ **It could be a really big deal! We could mess everything up by saying the wrong thing. You didn't tell him anything, did you?**_

 __ _Ginny narrowed her eyes, turning away from Gareth. Gareth reached out and jerked her around to face him._ _ **Did. You. Tell. Him.**_

 _"No, of course not!" she snapped. "I'm not an idiot, Gareth! I just wanted away from your face for a while, you kept glaring at me the whole time like I'd murdered somebody. I just wasn't thinking okay?" Her voice cracked. "I wasn't thinking, and I miss them."_

 _Gareth's anger melted from his face and he pulled Ginny into a hug._

 _"And I'm scared." She hugged him. "The bottle's almost empty, and you know what she said. When it's almost empty, something big happens and we have to be ready. What do we be ready for? Can we really make everything okay? What if we mess up?" her voice hitched hard. "What if she's lying and we can't save Dad? I can't… I can't…"_

 _Gareth pushed her back, his jaw set._ _ **We can do this. We do what she said, and Dad will be okay. He'll live. But we have to work together. No more running off in a huff, okay? I need you close. You're the stronger one, here.**_

 _Nodding, Ginny wiped her eyes. "Okay. I'm sorry."_

 _A corner of Gareth's mouth lifted, ruefully._ _ **Yeah. Me too. Get some sleep. No school tomorrow, so we can head to the shop. It'll be important to keep closer to him now.**_

 _Ginny nodded, turning to grab a tissue for her nose._

Lewis held perfectly still, skimming through the next half hour with no further incidents sticking out. Once the twins had fallen asleep, the Deadbeat had left to bring word back to Lewis.

"Good work," Lewis said, softly, then turned and phased back through the wall. Scooping up Vivi's phone, he texted Arthur.

 **It's Lewis. Got info from the Deadbeat tail. Need to talk to you ASAP.**

…...

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from You're Not Alone by Erutan. If you enjoy my writing and would like some behind-the-scenes information and thoughts on the story and writing in general, I invite you to check out my (Pat reon) page.


	5. And The Tables Turn

Cranking the parking brake on the van, Arthur swung the door open, allowing a furnace blast of air to smack him in the face. Not that it was much different than the temperature inside the van after a drive out to Dib's facility. Maybe Ginny was right and he needed to quit putting off fixing the AC. The van was an easy-bake oven out of his nightmares on a desert trip like this, and it wasn't like the auxiliary lab project was going to happen anytime soon. He'd be making trips out to the desert on a regular basis and so would Kay.

Grabbing a wide-brimmed hat, small towel, a crumpled brown bag and water bottle off the passenger seat, he exited the car and pivoted away from the Mini Mart that marked the entrance to Dib's labs.

Chloe would be along, soon. So would Lewis and Vivi. The text he'd gotten from Vivi—well, Lewis on Vivi's phone—when he woke was concerning, but dropping or even delaying Chloe's lesson was not an option at this point. He wasn't going to face her wrath in close quarters again if he didn't absolutely have to, so a few texts exchanged with Vivi ensured she and Lewis would tag along to keep an eye on Chloe and discuss the text with him.

He was early, though. Not by much, but it was enough. He gulped down a few swallows of water and wiped his mouth on his arm, capping the bottle. The site he was looking for was a few yards out from the Mini Mart, if he recalled. They couldn't have marked it with anything too conspicuous, but Dib had transplanted a cactus and a boulder at a particular spot to draw the attention of the select few who came to pay respects at two graves in the desert.

There. Two small metal plaques embedded in slabs of concrete. He took a moment to brush Duet's headstone clean. There wasn't much to say to Duet. It was thanks to Duet he himself was now simultaneously one and more than one, but then he would never have survived to defeat Demeter if he had been any less. Arthur bowed his head for a few moments, then tugged his hat off and moved over to the second headstone.

 **Hey Aji. Hope you don't mind a visitor. I got here early.**

He spread a small towel and seated himself in on the ground front of the small plaque that marked Aji Pepper's burial. Heat still radiated through the towel, and he could only imagine what it would have felt like if he'd forgotten it.

 **I've been by a few times, but I never really got to sit down and visit. Missed your funeral too. I got to apologize to Lewis about his, but haven't apologized to you.** He gave a weak grin. **Always manage to be out of commission when there's a Pepper funeral. What's with that?**

He sat there a minute, tracing the engraved letters with a finger. Abruptly, he lifted his prosthetic, flashed his wedding ring, then put his hands back together to sign, **I'm taking care of Kay. Or, we're taking care of each other. Like you wanted. Dulcie seems okay most days. She's got a vocal coach and she's loving every second of it. Coach seems to think he could get her some gigs, or even signed soon. Bet you didn't think that could happen in your family. Lew and Vee are about as happy as they can be. Your Dad's leveled out, too. I've seen him stammer once or twice, but your Mom really worked hard with him and he's mostly back to normal.**

 **I hope you know, they keep a picture of you on a shelf in the front room in their house. There's always a candle lit next to it. Mr. Pepper asks Kay and I for a different memory about you every time we come over.** Arthur smirked. **I try to keep my stories limited to the time before, y'know, you were trying to kick my ass every time you saw me.**

He pulled a small, puffy yellow feather from a vest pocket, digging it into the dirt near the plaque. **Kay sends her respects. I'm sure she visits every time she's out here, but when I mentioned I'd be here, she asked me to send them again. I think she misses you, too. Dulcie's never going to fly and Kay misses having a flight buddy. And a sister. I don't even think she holds her death against you. A lot less than I did, anyway.**

The phone in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out, skimming the text from Vivi's phone—Lewis again—then glancing up at the road. Dust rose in in the distance. Right on time.

 **Gonna have to go. Chloe's almost here. Lew and Vee are in tow, too. Something important they have to talk to me about.** He reached out and patted her headstone. **I hope your mission with those lost souls is going well. Wish me luck? I have to train the last weeaboonicorn.**

Rising, he dusted his pants off, folded up the towel, and climbed the nearby boulder. From the top he had enough of a vantage point to see Chloe barrelling down the road with Vivi clinging to her withers. He grabbed his hat and waved it over his head. Adjusting course, Chloe took the run off-road and churned up a cloud of dirt as she stopped at the base of his boulder. He waved the hat, this time to clear the air, hacking and choking.

He slid off the opposite side of the boulder, catching his breath in a pocket of clean air as the dust settled. Chloe snorted hard on the other side. He could smell the lather on her hide and the sweat drenching Vivi's shirt. He could also feel his flesh crawl like it wanted to peel off his bones and writhe away.

 _Chloe's passive field of whatever this is goes straight through solid objects. Good to know._

Carefully, he struck out to find the edge of the field and stopped when his teeth were only slightly on edge. From there he worked his way around the boulder to stand in front of the newly-arrived group-a good fifteen feet-and waved in greeting.

"Hey, Squire!" Vivi slid off Chloe's back and stumbled to catch herself. "Whew! I'll feel that in the morning, but exhilarating!"

Arthur smiled, lifting his hands. **Glad you could make it. Think you need some water and cool-down time, both of you.**

"Good call," Vivi agreed. "Chloe, let's freshen up at the lab. We can come back up after."

Chloe's flanks still heaved and she bucked her head up and down in hearty agreement, following Vivi.

"Boo."

Arthur jumped a foot to the side, then rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck to release the tension. He turned to roll his eyes at Lewis, who hovered behind him with a sly grin. **Boo. Really? How long have you been waiting to do that one?**

"Cut me some slack." Lewis gestured to himself. "I have to maintain a sense of humor about it."

Arthur rolled his eyes once more and shrugged his shoulders, but grinned back.

Lewis' smile faded, though, and Arthur swallowed. **So. You said you had something important to talk to me about?**

"Yeah. I already showed Vivi. She agrees." Lewis hesitated. "You still think direct contact isn't safe? It's easier if I just show-"

 **Hell no. You're practically a floating collection of unshielded emotions and memories. Just because I don't** _ **want**_ **to consume you doesn't mean I won't by accident. No direct mental contact. Ever.**

A ripple moved across Lewis' frame and he nodded. "Well, I've done this once for Vivi, after I spied on you. Let's see if I can do it again." He spread his hands and a Deadbeat zoomed out from behind him, floating between his fingers. He took the Deadbeat and gently stretched it out to form a small screen. Images flickered on the surface, sharpening into a view of the twins in Arthur's old room. Arthur nodded enthusiastically. It was working!

As key parts of the memory played out _you find your blood running cold in spite of the unbearable heat. The twins are certainly working with, or for, someone. This, coupled with the fact that they intend to stay closer to you and that they mask their scent or are not human, means they almost certainly know what you are. And Ginny has been asking you to divulge more details about your 'illness' from the beginning. What game is she playing?_

 _And time is running out. Some supply they have is limited and they have been warned that something will happen. What will happen? Why do they have to stay close to you? Is your life the price these two are required to exact in order to save someone else?_

 _But who?_

 _"Arthur!"_

 _Who are they? None of the children survived. Sometimes the Shiker would send them away, but always with mental triggers embedded deep in their subconscious. Triggers that would compel them to return with mate and child, turn over the child, and destroy themselves and the mate. Such were Lewis' parents. Such would Lewis have been, had he not returned to fulfil part of the curse._

 _"Arthur!" Hands on your arms, shaking you. You lock eyes with Lewis, barely able to breathe._

 _"I don't understand," you say, faintly. "They all died. It couldn't be those children, could it? Coming back to…" Your chest constricts and you're not even really looking at Lewis anymore. "It's not me. I'm not the Shiker. I'm not. I didn't do it. They won't know, they won't understand. They'll all come back, just like you. Maybe that's why I can't smell them. Gods, Lewis, are they ghosts too?"_

 _A swat to the face-not too hard, but hard enough-snaps you back to attention. Lewis glowers down at you. "Take a slow breath in. Now."_

 _You comply, blankly._

 _"Exhale. Count and finish the breath on ten."_

 _You do this. Your heart isn't pounding quite so hard._

 _"Do it again."_

 _You comply, wanting nothing more than your fear to stop spiking you through the lungs. This seems to be working, though slower than you'd like. Lewis walks you through it five more times before you stop twitching, and when he releases your arms it is only when you know you can stand without his help and have signaled this to him._

 _Lewis stands close, in case he needs to catch you again. "To answer you, they can't be ghosts. I would have sensed something when in their presence and they come to Tome Tomb all the time. Are you absolutely sure there were no survivors of the Shiker's compound?"_

 _You swallow. If you are to be truly thorough, you would have to revisit a few hundred years of memories you would strongly prefer never to see again. You find yourself shaking your head. "No. I cannot be sure without examining the memories one by one and I am not eager to ever do so." You blink, realizing another point. "I also do not have the lifespan to do so."_

 _Lewis lifts an eyebrow. "You can't skim?"_

 _"In theory, yes I could skim memories, but if I was to be absolutely sure of finding the answer you're asking for, I would have to check over three hundred years of memories in detail for any hint that one of you escaped or that I somehow misplaced one. What if they are descendants?" Your heart rate picks up again. "Descendants of one of the children who have found me."_

 _Lewis shifts, casting his eyes to the side. "What if it's something else, Arthur? I know you don't like to talk about this, but can kitsunes reproduce?"_

 _You are shocked into silence._

 _"No, seriously!" He obviously misinterprets your lack of response. "You've said the Shiker killed all pack members except Mystery, but what if any of them had a litter first? Is that what it's called, litter?"_

 _The gears in your head churn. It is possible. It is absolutely possible, and then there would be kitsunes running around that weren't the original pack and you'd never know it. The Shiker wouldn't have even thought to look for them because he was so set on dealing death he'd never stopped to think about new life._

Arthur blinked, reaching out for Lewis' arm to steady himself. He flashed a strained smile up, signing, **Arcturus is a little overwhelmed. Needs to sit back and process the possibilities. What you said, it could be, Lew.**

"What does that mean for you if it's true, though?" Lewis' brows pulled together, and Arthur was warmed by his concern.

 **Don't know yet. Have to figure out how to play this to drag out more info from twins.** He caught a flash of white and blue out of the corner of his eye. **Looks like the girls are back though.**

"You going to be okay?"

Arthur smiled warmly. **I'll manage. Thanks.**

"Hope you two didn't have too much fun without us. Sorry it took longer, needed to give Chloe a hosing and rubdown so she didn't pass out." Vivi punched him lightly on the arm. "Gonna fill me in, Squire?"

Shaking his head, Arthur signed, **Lew has to fill you in. I have a date with a magical unicorn princess. Jealous?**

Now it was Lewis' turn to punch him in the arm.

 **Joking! Joking!** Arthur protested, taking a moment to rub his arm.

Vivi grinned. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone knows you're in love with a songbird. Anyway, Lew will catch me up to speed, go on."

Arthur swallowed his trepidation and offered a friendly wave to Chloe, keeping the fifteen feet of space he now required.

Chloe tossed her head, though Arthur couldn't tell if that was a defiant gesture or an acknowledgement of his wave. "So. You're going to show me how to control this… whatever it is that keeps you so far away?"

 _You do not want to be the one to train her now. Concern weighs even more heavily on you than yesterday, but you are the one who has speech and you are the one with magical knowledge to bequeath. Having a massive accrual of supernatural data such as you hold in your head is a rare thing. You would much prefer this situation does not go to waste. If there were no further use for what you knew, no further good in it, you're not sure you could bear this continuing split._

 _"It will take longer than this one session to begin containing what you passively emit, I'm sure, so for the next several sessions our new training location is out here and not at Tome Tomb. Also, I can't help you with what you passively emit until we work with it in its active form." You reach into the crumpled brown bag and pull out a two way transmitter tied on the end of a rope. You toss it over to her. "Take this with you and set it down. I will be able to hear you and you'll hear me through it. I will need to be considerably farther from you when you launch an attack."_

 _She grabs it between her teeth and canters easily down a faint trail, her hooves leaving deep prints in the packed earth. You try to shake off the mental image of those hooves in contact with your face._

 _You climb back to the top of the boulder, sitting down on the little towel again and opening the paper bag. You pull out a second transmitter along with the swiss-and-salami sandwich Kay sent you off with. Of course, with her, it's never as simple as swiss-and-salami. No, she has to add a little twist that makes it a culinary delight beyond mere nourishment. You smile. You wouldn't have it any other way._

 _The transmitter crackles. "Hey! Baka! Far enough yet?"_

 _You pick it up and speak into it. "Have you no other insult in your vocabulary? Baka and all its derivatives are getting old."_

 _"Koshinuki. Uso tsuki. Kechi. Zurui. Ijiwaru-"_

 _You grimace, cutting her off. "Yes, yes, it's well understood that you don't like me." You squint, spotting her quite far off. "I hope it is far enough. If I scream, stop whatever you're doing immediately, if you please."_

 _"You think I'll get you from this far?"_

 _"I have no way of knowing your range. I had dealings with full grown unicorns exactly one time before they were rendered harmless."_

 _There was a long silence. "Don't you mean 'The Shiker' had dealings with them?"_

 _You curse. You're trying so hard not to slip up, but you have all his memories. It is hard not to claim them as your own when they reside in your head. "Yes. I meant him. So it is possible you can reach me from here. What I want you to do is look toward me. Can you see me from there?"_

 _"I see a speck of orange on a rock."_

 _"Right. First, I need you to look away from me. Point yourself in the opposite direction entirely. Now, I want you to picture a monster that is coming to attack you. It wants to eat you alive because it heard unicorns are delicious."_

 _"That's disgusting."_

 _You frown, poking a small readout screen on the transmitter. There isn't even a tiny spike of any sort of energy. "Are you picturing it?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Not hard enough. Listen, we've talked through your healing and you've got it down on command now. It's the same principle; combine what you most desire in the moment with force of will. Push the desire out of you, make it reality." The next step will be visualizing a form, but you'll take raw magical output as a starting point._

 _"Noroma. Nothing's really coming to get me. How am I supposed to really want to attack when there's no one to attack?"_

Arthur sat back, frowning. She had a good point. It was hard to work up real fear and an attack if there was no enemy. He checked his energy levels and found there was extra to spare for the day. If he got too tired, he could ask Lewis to drive him back while he napped. Standing to his feet, he stretched his hands out to where the white dot wavered on the horizon.

He conjured a vision of a gigantic, bat-skulled skeleton and leaping, green flame, causing it to appear out of the sand. It roared as it struggled to escape the ground and grab Chloe. He heard her horrified whinny ring through the transmitter just before the energy readouts spiked. A ripple spread out from the white dot and he felt his control of the vision crumble before her. The wave continued sweeping out as a rippling air current. Within seconds he could see that it was headed straight for him.

There was no way to know if being on top of the boulder was enough to protect him, but it didn't look like it was dissipating. It closed half the distance between Chloe and himself and that was too close. Grabbing the transmitter, he leaped off the boulder and took to his feet.

 _"Chloe! Stop! It's not real, it was just a visual trick!"_

 _"I did stop!"_

 _You glance over your shoulder. Now the ripple is almost at the boulder. This was a mistake. You push yourself. You used to be fast, but now that you are more than Arthur you can be uncatchable. You_ must _be uncatchable. You tear past Vivi and Lewis, leaving them in the dust, but you can feel the hair on your neck stand. You veer aside, but the feeling persists. Is it tracking you? Is the destructive energy homed in on some biological signature? You don't have breath to whimper, but if you don't get away from this, it will hurt. Badly._

 _A door forms in front of you, open and inviting in the middle of nowhere. You stumble through and collapse on the rug in Lewis' foyer as the door slams behind you. You lay there for some time, trying to catch your breath._

Lewis' hands gently shifted Arthur to a sitting position. "Guess whatever you did wasn't the brightest idea you've ever had."

There wasn't enough air to retort and his limbs shook too hard from adrenaline to sign.

Lewis tilted his head. "Sounds like the attack faded right after I dematerialized the door. That's what Vivi says."

Arthur glanced at him, bewildered.

Shrugging, Lewis explained, "She has my anchor. I can always hear someone talking to the locket."

Arthur dropped his head back in frustration, staring at the arched ceiling overhead. How was he supposed to train Chloe not to hurt him if even attempting to train her magical attack resulted in him being targeted?

 _Once your breathing stabilizes, you bring the transmitter back up to your mouth. "So. We seem to have a problem. You can target me, long distance, without even meaning to. Assuming you didn't intend that little stunt."_

 _Only static. You smack the transmitter to your forehead. Idiot. You're probably not even on the same plane of existence as Chloe if Lewis has dematerialized the mansion. You haven't had time to ask him how that works, though you assume he more or less has a pocket dimension on command in the form of this mansion. Presumably you can't transmit from here. "Lewis, can you take us back?"_

 _He nods, swiveling his hands and sweeping his arms wide like a conductor. He pauses, his head tilted as if listening to something. You turn toward the door, ready to come out and give the foal a piece of your mind. That had better not have been a deliberate attempt on your life._

 _"Um, Arthur?"_

 _"What?" You toss the question over your shoulder as you open the door. You exit behind Vivi, who has the locket clutched in a vise grip near feverishly moving lips. You can't see her expression, but every muscle in her body is tense and she smells of grief, relief, and hurt._

 _Ambling toward you at a measured pace is Mystery._

 _Thank the gods! A surge of relief catches you off guard as you descend the steps and hurry forward with open arms. If anyone can help you with Chloe and with your own divided self, and with the mystery of the twins, it will be Mystery. Mystery will understand it all, he will be able to help you set everything in its place—_

 _The wind shifts and all the blood in your body turns to ice as the breeze carries the accusing scent of cherry blossoms to you. There is no gleam of gladness or recognition in Mystery's eye, for you or for Vivi. His pace is unhurried, but deliberate, and definitely aimed at you._

 _You take one step back, fighting off the meaning of all this. It isn't possible. It wasn't then, it isn't now. There is another explanation. Artie, for the sake of all we hold dear, give us another explanation!_

 _But what would he know? Nothing. You kept it that way._

 _Mystery comes to a stop a little distance from you and sits. No wasted gesture, no wasted emotion. When he speaks it is the name you were given at creation, unpronouncable in man's tongue. It rolls out of his mouth like a tangle of distasteful thorns, but there is no distaste because there is no tone in his voice._

" _Come." His order is flat. "Mother wishes to undo you."_

… _._

 **Note:** If anyone has theories, by the way. Theories about Mystery, theories about the twins, theories about anything? While I cannot confirm or deny them, I LOVE HEARING YOUR THEORIES. Also, if you're enjoying the series, consider dropping by my (pat reon) and checking out my perks! Chapter title excerpted from I'm So Sorry by Imagine Dragons.


	6. They're Coming Creeping from the Corner

Sunlight filtered through the window slats, coaxing Kay from slumber. Arthur lay next to her, sawing enough logs for the both of them. For the umpteenth time, she wished she could sleep until noon, and for the umpteenth time she roused when the light hit her, pressing a soft kiss to Arthur's hair where the touch wouldn't wake him, and padding out to the kitchen.

Home schooling and then morning college courses and her part-time work at the Paradiso. These had been the early-morning wake-up calls that used to drag her from bed. Now, it was the pleasure she took applying her hard-learned Paradiso skills to Arthur's day. He wasn't, she admitted, a bad cook when he applied himself. He was, however, a lazy one, preferring to heat up a frozen meal over spending the time on a decent dish. She loved the way his face lit up when he woke to a hot omelette or came back to a dinner of savory crepes. His thanks were silent gestures; a shoulder caress, fingers run through her curls, a nuzzle at her neck, a smile overflowing with unspoken words from across the table.

Today, though, she had an early shift at the Paradiso and there was no time to pull out all the stops. Besides, she hated watching him leave, knowing he wouldn't be back tonight. Better to be gone first. She assembled a quick swiss-and-salami sandwich, adding a few strips of baby bell pepper and a swipe of her own secret sauce—not too spicy, but with just enough of a kick—and left it in a brown bag on the counter. She warmed up some of yesterday's hashbrowns, covered the dish, and left them next to the bag.

She glanced at her phone, skimming a text from Dib.

 **Old friend came to visit. Going out in the field. Research suspended indefinitely. Lab open to you if you need it. Can continue with hospital work yourselves but be careful. Don't make me come back if you can help it. Spread the word for me?**

For once, Kay didn't mind that he'd texted her instead of Vivi for personal assistant business. She might just get Arthur back that evening—No. Arthur could work on the gadgets he was designing for Dib without Dib being present. He'd still be gone overnight if he felt he owed Dib some time. Sighing, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and walked to the Pepper Paradiso.

The Paradiso was much smaller now that it only had her father as its sole full time employee. Kay and her mom did their best to fill in part-time, but without Aji and Lewis, there was no way to keep up with the space they'd expanded to fill over the years. The wall separating the few booths they could accommodate and the rest of the seating space had just been finished, and soon they would put that segment of the building up for lease.

Kay bit her lip, fighting a swell of sorrow. Dad wouldn't hear of hiring anyone outside the family. Too risky, he said. Hard enough to deal with customers outside the family, but that could be managed. New employees couldn't be trusted, either with the family recipes or family secrets. She was grateful, but every time she saw the wall there was a twinge of sadness. He would never be as successful as he deserved.

Sticking her key in the lock, she swung the door open. "Hey, Dad! You here yet?" she called.

"Kitchen," he hollered back.

"Mom?"

"She's not back. She's dropping Dulcie off."

Kay deflected the small stab of jealousy. Dulcie's voice didn't carry the weight of the siren's compulsion, but she was highly lauded by her vocal coach as a natural whose gifts might shape the next generation of music with proper training. In addition, Dulcie was set up to enter regular school in the fall. Dib had promised extra tutoring once the auxiliary lab was built, but until then the commute didn't allow for visits more than once or twice a month.

Regular school and lessons with a vocal coach. Like a regular, gifted kid. Kay sighed, grabbing her uniform and changing in the bathroom. No sense crying over spilled milk. Kay wouldn't trade life with Arthur for a whole childhood of normalcy. She had what she needed most, and Dulcie had what she needed.

Kay entered the kitchen, pausing to hug Dad briefly, and scooted to an adjacent counter to work on the fresh vegetables. Dad could safely wield a knife again, but since she'd taken over that aspect of the prep they never bothered to switch back. For now, he stood over the stove, checking the rice cooker and a large vat of soup.

"How are things?" Kay asked, pressing a red onion into the slicer and cranking the handle.

He glanced over his shoulder. There were more wrinkles around his eyes and forehead than there used to be, and a few gray hairs among the swaths of pink and blond. "Slow going, as usual. But, going, at least. Dulcie lets Mom drop her off at vocal lessons and school, now. Still won't let her touch her food, but I don't think Mom wants to make her food either."

Kay nodded. "Smart move." She squinted against the sting. Ugh. Still, best to get the onions out of the way sooner. "And nightmares?"

"Still none out of Dulcie. And you'd think your Mom would have more, but frequency has gone way down since we got back."

Kay hummed, thoughtful. "Well, Dulcie hangs out a lot with Chloe. Probably whatever effect Chloe has on her limits the nightmares. And Mom, well, it's over. The thing she was most afraid of is finished."

"You're starting to sound like him, you know," Dad teased. "You didn't used to analyze every little thing."

She tossed a thick cucumber slice at the back of his head, knocking his hat askew. "It's no bad thing."

"Hey, I never said it was." He grinned at her, straightening his hat. "How is it over there? How's married life?"

"Mostly good. But…" the corners of her mouth pulled down. "Not that I know what his dream-life was before all this, but I'd bet money he never had nightmares like he has now."

Dad reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Cayenne… you're safe, right? You know your Mom and I have to take some measures, it isn't something to be ashamed of."

She shrugged his hand off. "No, Dad, it isn't like that. I'm safe, he'd never hurt me." She was sure of that. Mostly. He wouldn't knowingly hurt her. "He just needs me to talk him through it sometimes. I'm lucky my voice is an asset here. He responds pretty fast, and then I have him back." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, hesitant. "Dad… you know… you… you never answered my question. I know it was a long time ago, but… are you mad? That I have someone in sway?"

He offered a rueful smile. "Kay, I don't think it's possible for someone with your gifts to be in a relationship with someone and it never happens. I'm not thrilled, but it's not your fault." He hooked the ladle over the edge of the pot and wrapped his arms around her. "I remember how hard you tried all the time. It was inevitable. I'm just glad you found someone who loved you before he loved your voice, and that you finally believe it."

She squeezed him tight. "Yeah. Me too."

 _BANGBANGBANGBANG._

Startled, Kay released him and poked her head out of the kitchen. "Someone's at the door. Hang on a second." She walked toward the front, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Ginny?" Surprised, Kay unlocked the door and swung it open. "Gareth? Hey, what are you doing here? We're not open yet."

Ginny pushed past, craning her neck around the tiny seating area. "He's here? Tell me he's here. Did he come and help you?"

Gareth winced, grabbing her arm and pulling her back, shaking his head.

"He has to be here!" Ginny wailed. "Miss Kay, do you know where Mister Artie is? He's not at the shop, we thought he'd be there but he wasn't! And then he wasn't at your thinking-tree! And then he wasn't at Tome Tomb and it was _closed_ and it's never closed on Sundays except that one time and we've been _everywhere!_ "

Kay knelt down. "Hey, it's okay, calm down. He's not in any trouble, he just… he just headed out to his other job. You know." She wiggled her eyebrows. "The top secret facility stuff. He'll probably be gone a couple days, that's nothing new."

Ginny smacked her forehead, giving a tight giggle. "Of course! Of course, I… I'm sorry Miss Kay. Um, I have to go. We have to go… back home. I guess if we're not going to learn more car junk stuff today we'd better do homework."

Kay hesitated. Ginny had the look of a kid who was absolutely not going to do what she just said she'd do, but wanted you to think that was what she would do. Still, nobody but them knew where Dib's facility was. And yet…

"You're headed straight home, then?" she asked, chipper. "Well be sure to give Lance my best. I'll text him and let him know you're on your way back."

Ginny nodded vigorously. "Mhmm if you want gotta get back there now, bye Miss Kay!" She grabbed Gareth's arm and dragged him down the street.

Uneasy, Kay shot off a quick text to Lance, asking him to confirm when the twins returned home.

The morning wore into afternoon. Mom returned to take up the uniform and Kay's place in the kitchen, while Kay left to service the front. She fell into the rhythm. Greet the customer. Take the order. Greet the next group. Take the order. Deliver the order for the first group. Greet the next. Check please. Take the order for the third group. Deliver the order of the second. Check please.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She paused, setting down a tray of soup and curry. If that was Lance, she would have to alert him to probe the twins. It had been a few hours.

Arthur. Calling. He didn't call, he texted whenever possible. Slipping into the bathroom, she picked up. "Art—"

"Cards!" The word was nearly screamed over wind roaring into the speaker. "Grab cash, grab credit, don't go home! Meet me at the tree, be there as soon as you can! Emergency!"

Fear squeezed her chest. "What—"

"Can't! Do it now! And don't be scared, please don't be scared of me! And don't go home!"

And the line went dead.

….

 **Note:** Adjustment to my (pat reon), now the posts at the 1 and 5 tiers allow early access to my blog posts about writing, the fanfiction process, and editing notes. After 30 days the posts become public, so even if you're not up for supporting at the moment, swing by and check out what I have. I love talking about writing and sharing the process. Chapter Title excerpted from Nightmare by Set It Off.


	7. A Path Is Torn

"This won't ever come back to bite me in the ass, huh? It's all the in the past, huh?" Artie turned inward, away from what their eyes displayed and faced his mirror self, slumped over in the shadows of his mind. "You owe me so much information."

 _You glance briefly out through the eyes. The breath is being pulled in over milliseconds that feel like full minutes. Mystery's last word still hangs, reverberating in the air. "You are burning up more than our surplus reserves of energy for this stunt. But we need more time, and speeding up our thoughts is a clever maneuver. The expenditure is warranted."_

"So talk."

 _You sag slowly to a seated position, cross-legged. "He found Mother. Somehow." You stare down, pulling yourself into a small, curled form. "It shouldn't be possible. She was destroyed."_

"Destroyed how?"

 _"Not important. What's important-"_

"No! You do not get to decide what's important, you know how this works for me! I need all the pieces. When I'm missing any, that's when we screw up big time!"

 _"Firstly, even though you have bought us a window to think, there is not time to tell you all, allow you to rearrange the pieces into some plan, and put it into action. Second, you continue to persist in this even though I have told you time and again, detailed knowledge of this situation would destroy us."_

Artie scrutinized Arcturus. Something was missing from his claim about the destructive knowledge, some note that was always false. "Fine. No time to fight you on this now. What will you tell me?"

 _"He found Mother, our creator. Mother wants the death and destruction of a creature that no longer exists, but she thinks that is you. Mystery seems to have done nothing to relieve her of this false belief. Or perhaps he had no say. He is utterly drained."_

Artie seized on this. "What do you mean by drained? Is this about the emotion sucking thing?"

 _"Yes. Look at him. No acknowledgement of Vivi, minimal usage of words, not a single gesture that remotely allows for display of personality. All signs of starvation among our kind."_

"Does that mean we're stronger than him?" Artie demanded. "Can we take him in a fight?"

 _You do not hide how much this question pains you. "We are a little stronger than him in general so, yes. We can take him in a fight, but it is ill advised. While we have the immediate strength advantage, he is a natural shifter and we are not. He can simply outwait our strength and pick us off after we've reverted to human form." Your eyes narrow in thought. "Unless you intend to kill him."_

"No! Of course we're not killing him!"

 _You frown. "Artie, this is something you need to consider. We may have to. If we fail to disable him and still get away, Mystery will come after everyone you care about. He may even…" You bolt up, peering out through the eyes. "Gods. Do you see? He's looking behind us. What's behind us?"_

"Lewis," Artie said, uncertainly. "You're saying this like it's really important."

 _"Think!" You snap. "There is no wasted motion in this state! He is starving, and right behind us is-"_

"A collection of unshielded emotions and memories! We have to protect Lewis!"

 _"Every motion will count. Mystery has already crouched to spring."_

"Can we shove him into Vivi's locket?"

 _"Temporary measure, and unless Lewis knows what we're doing he won't react like we want."_

"Can we tell him?"

 _"Not enough time for communication, comprehension, and him taking action."_

"Can we force him into Vivi?"

 _"We would have to break down his form first. If we just grabbed him and shoved him at her, he would bounce off. He has control of what he does and doesn't phase through and again, he doesn't know what needs to happen or what danger he's in."_

Artie stared at Arcturus, dread building in him. "Arcturus… can we… can we absorb him and keep him separate long enough to transfer him to Vivi?"

 _You dip your head once. "It will be difficult, but it can be done. Vivi's living body is protection enough and Lewis' strength will offer her more protection as well."_

"Do you swear-"

 _"Artie, I understand who Lewis is to us. There is no need to bind me to an agreement."_

"And it won't be like Mr. Pepper?"

 _"No. I did not deem it important enough to keep those memories separate at the time and you were inexperienced. I deem it extremely important to keep Lewis separate. He will not be lost."_

"Can we send a copy of this conversation with him on the way out? He'll need to understand instantly what's happening."

 _"Yes."_

Artie initiated their body's spin toward Lewis. The view through the eyes dragged slowly sideways and the mouth began to open.

"Meantime, more planning. We need Chloe back, she may be able to help."

 _"I suspect Lewis will scream at what is about to happen. That will be more than enough to bring Chloe thundering back."_

"Can she protect us from Mystery?"

 _"If she feels like it. What are the odds she won't just let him attack us?"_

"I… don't know. I hope she will, but I don't know her well enough to be sure. We'll have to throw ourselves on her mercy."

 _"You know, going belly up is a weakness that could get you killed."_

"Frontal attack doesn't work and running will have him on our heels, right? We're low on options."

 _"And when he goes after the ones you care about?"_

They had turned fully to face Lewis. They began inhaling his form, absorbing what was left of his existence. Artie shut the eyes too late-Lewis' horrified expression would forever haunt his memories. "That would be Kay, Dulcie, and Uncle Lance. Vivi has Chloe and Lewis to protect her. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper don't qualify as enough leverage. We have to protect Kay ourselves. If Lewis can house Dulcie and Uncle Lance in his Mansion and make it vanish to wherever it goes in-between states, they'll be safe. Right?"

 _"We don't know what prolonged existence in that limbo will do."_

"Got a better option? We're going to have to risk it unless Vee and Lew can cook up something else." Artie paused. "Can Lewis hold us in his mansion, too?"

 _"As long as we are in reach, Mystery has no reason to launch a full attack on Vivi and Lewis. The moment Lewis gets in the way, Mystery will murder Vivi and tear their souls apart to find us. Even together they are no match for him. Our only advantage is that Mystery has no energy to spare for side tasks such as prying Lewis loose from Vivi to devour him."_

Artie shuddered. "So we can't hide there, but Kay could and Kay's the first one Mystery will go for. We have to get to her and hold him off long enough for Lewis to collect the others and then come for her. Then we can run."

" _But we are not faster than Mystery in this form."_

"We won't be faster in the van, will we?"

 _"No."_

Artie opened their eyes again. Lewis had vanished. He could feel the shape of Lewis' spirit, terrified and writhing inside him. Artie pitched their body toward Vivi. "Well. Kay gave us extra time for just this situation, didn't she? Tell me how we can be fastest."

 _You hate to use the gift she gave you, but there's no chance of success if you don't. "If we use it to boost this form, your original body, we will be fastest and use the least energy."_

"Give me the second fastest form if plan A goes wrong."

 _Grimacing, you acknowledge there is a high potential something will change the situation. "Plan B is we shift to_ my _original form, a kitsune. It will cost much more and hurt, but we will be able to both fight and run with only slightly lesser speed. I-the Shiker-used to run circles around the world. Even on three legs, our body will remember the relief of running as a good thing, not a strain."_

They seized Vivi by the face, drawing her close and placing lips over hers. As Artie funneled Lewis into Vivi, he replicated the conversation he had just had with Arcturus, slipping it in along with Lewis' entire existence. He scoured himself for any memory or emotion from Lewis that may have gotten caught, but Arcturus was as good as his word. Lewis left them whole and unharmed, if utterly terrified.

"So. First we go belly up and beg Chloe to buy us time. Hope Lewis unscrambles himself fast enough to coordinate what needs to be done. Go for Kay."

 _"Ready?"_

"Ready. But when we can breathe again, you'd better be ready to tell me _everything._ "

…..

Vivi clutched the locket, staring at the house-sized kitsune crossing the desert flats toward them. She'd been doing well. She'd been steadily improving, and now it was all sliding sideways into shock, precursor to some emotional bombshell. The thoughts were tangling with feelings faster than she could sort them, but the hurt rang loud and clear.

 _You didn't tell me._

 _You just left._

 _No word for months._

 _You're not even looking at me._

Arthur's face was pale as he descended the mansion steps, his lips a bloodless line. His eyeballs twitched faster than REM cycles allowed for, and Vivi wondered what sort of conference he was having with himself. Did he know what Mystery was even talking about?

Halfway through that thought, Arthur spun on his heel to face Lewis and opened his jaws monster-wide, inhaling. Lewis melted, dissolving into Arthur's maw. She froze as Arthur turned, wild-eyed, to her. Pink lit the inside of his mouth as he lunged forward, grabbed her shoulders and covered her mouth with his .

Fire poured into her mouth and flooded her airways down to the lungs, radiating out through her chest. She broke free and stumbled back with a cry. Flat, colorless memories sprang to life in her mind. First dates and stolen kisses, months of home-cooked dinners and evening violin-practice, and big, warm arms holding her tight.

Her heart slammed triple-time against her chest, the heat of Lewis' presence washing through her body and winding all through her brain. She was scared-no, Lewis was scared. Vivi was hurt and very confused, but not scared.

Oh gods. The shock was gone. Hurt went from smoldering embers to an inferno of rage and sorrow in seconds as the effects of the medication were overwritten. Lewis' interference had done this the night he died but she'd just gotten back on track with them. Now it was all down the tubes. She sucked in a breath, moaning, "This is why we don't do possession anymore! What the flipping feces were you thinking?"

Lewis' thoughts were fragmented to boot. No answers there. Clutching the front of her shirt, she willed Lewis to the background, attempting to get a lock on Squire and Mystery.

Mystery was a good deal closer now. Arthur scrambled two steps back for every one of Mystery's steps. The ground trembled, giving Mystery pause. Relief surged up to quench Vivi's anger as Chloe approached at a dead run, nostrils flaring, horn lowered.

 _Tell her I'm okay._ The thought was weak and barely coherent, but it was Lewis.

Vivi threw up her hands, shouting, "Lewis is okay! I've got him!"

Chloe slowed her approach, raising her head slightly as she cantered up next to Vivi and stopped, stomping the ground with both front hooves. "So now we have two dogs instead of one. Does that mean they are both here to teach? Why was Lewis screaming?"

"Lewis was attacked by Arthur." Mystery sat, now, fixing his attention on Chloe. Vivi balled her hands into fists. "I ask for your assistance in capturing him. I must take him to Mother for justice."

Chloe's eyes widened.

Arthur bolted to his feet. "No! Chloe, I saved-"

"He consumed Lewis. He released Lewis because he struggles against evil. He's losing that battle. If he loses again, Lewis will be destroyed. Give him to me."

Eyes wide, Vivi turned to Arthur, who looked just as gobsmacked as she felt. Is that what had happened? Had Arcturus pulled the wool over their eyes long enough to get the upper hand?

 _No. Vee. Don't say it._ Lewis struggled to stabilize. He unleashed a surge of urgency, of important things unsaid. Time. He needed a few more seconds to gather himself.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Vivi turned to Chloe. "Something's wrong. Don't buy what Mystery says right away. Lewis is trying to communicate, but he's shaken."

Mystery stood to his paws and approached. He towered over Chloe and she laid her ears back, shying. "If you won't help me, don't stop me. I must take-" and that word slithered out again. The one full of sounds that made no sense.

Arthur gasped, clutching his chest.

Mystery made the sound again, repeating it over and over in a rote recitation.

Reeling, Arthur staggered forward, dropping to his knees within five feet of Chloe's hind legs. She snorted hard, eyes wide and ears laid back as she sidestepped and angled around to stand between them, shifting her hooves. Arthur dragged himself the last couple of feet and, with a cry, laid hold of her front left hoof.

Lewis' alarm tripled. _He can't be that close! He shouldn't even be touching her!_

"Please," Arthur rasped. "Help. We submit… to your judgment… not his." Smoke rose from his skin, his hands now cracked and blistered.

"This doesn't concern you." Mystery crouched. "Move."

Chloe reared up, trumpeting a terrible roar that sent Mystery scrambling backward. "Fuzakeru na! It's my business too! Vivi-chan says we wait, and so we wait! And you, you wouldn't dare touch a sacred unicorn. You said so yourself. Arthur-sama has been doing what you promised _you_ would do, teach me about my magic! Omae no aite wa ore da, and now I know that if I attack you, you'll melt from the inside out, so back off! Nobody takes anybody captive until we hear what Vivi-chan has to say!"

Was Chloe bluffing, or was that something she could do? There were no clues from Arthur's prostrate, trembling form.

It seemed enough of a challenge for Mystery, though, who turned tail and ran off full speed. Vivi relaxed for a moment. "Well… well done, Chloe. Crisis averted."

Sometime in between the words "crisis" and "averted," Arthur vanished. Dust clogged Vivi's mouth and nose and she curled her arms around her face to protect it from the stinging sand. As the cloud settled, Vivi saw see deep-impact footprints leading away from the spot Arthur had been laying in.

Her lips moved without her. "We… we have to move now," Lewis croaked. "Mystery's going after hostages."

…...

 **Note:** If you think about it, consider taking a look at what my (pat reon) has to offer. Chapter title excerpted from The Last Unicorn by Kenny Loggins.


	8. I Know What You Smell Like

"He sounded panicked. I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, you two should get Dulcie and go somewhere safe." Kay grabbed the larger bills from the cash register and tucked them in her wallet, pocketing it. "Balance the till when this is over and tell us what we owe you. We'll pay it all back." She grimaced, shooting her dad an apologetic glance. "Sorry, not thinking."

Dad cupped her hands in his, squeezing. "You're not telling me anything I wouldn't already do. Just do one thing for me? Stay safe."

"I will." She squeezed once, then let go. Mom was still ushering customers out. "When Mom's done, take off and try to stay far from places we know, for now. I'll text you when I know anything."

Mom held the door open, watching as Kay shuffled out with the customers.

"Take care of yourself, Cayenne," Mom murmured as she passed.

Kay lifted a hand and waved as she exited. Arthur said to meet him at the tree. The only tree that had any meaning to her was the sycamore. He knew that. She had to assume that was what he meant. A good thirty minutes' walk from the Paradiso. Twenty or less if she ran for it.

Halfway there, Kay heard faint screaming behind her. Ducking her head, she picked up the pace, pumping her legs harder. Talons poked through her fingertips. Don't go home, he'd said. Was the thing that caused the screams coming for her?

A tremor rocked the ground and she stumbled, grabbing a parking meter for balance. The next quake came right on its heels, larger. The screams sounded louder now.

She couldn't run with the ground shaking like this. Arthur needed her to make it to the sycamore, and she was going to make it one way or another. Spreading her arms, she prepared to fledge.

The third quake threw her from her feet and the fourth kept her on the ground. Grabbing the parking meter, now sadly tilted to the side, she pulled herself up.

A shadow fell over her. Her heart seized as she whirled, baring her talons to strike.

…

 _Every step hits the earth with a force that would shatter your bones if you weren't forcibly holding the molecules in place and channeling the impact back out of your body. The landscape blurs past so you sharpen your vision. Your efforts will go to waste if you faceplant into a cliffside you couldn't see coming._

 _Can Mystery even find Kay? You know where to find her, she'll be at the Paradiso. But for all Mystery knows, she's anywhere in the city._

He knows her scent. He talked about what she smelled like very early on, before I figured out what she was. If he can stretch his senses like we can, he can track her anywhere within general city limits.

 _This is bad. This means you can't just find her and wait for Lewis and his mansion. You have to get her far away. At least for now, she has to come with you._

Mystery knows our scent, too. We'll have to be fast to leave him behind. Even so, we're only buying distance and time, right? I assume we can't cloak our tracks.

 _Not from the likes of him. Worse, Mother has methods of tracking us that go beyond smell, assuming she has the strength for it. We will have to keep running as long as we can, rest, and continue once again._

We can't keep running from her indefinitely!

 _We'll find a more sustainable plan later! For now, our focus is Kay, and we can't carry her long distances in this form._

Plan B.

 _You yank your phone from our pocket, spending precious seconds to call Kay and tell her to leave the Paradiso. Meet us at the tree. Please, please, don't be afraid. You abandon the phone in the desert grit._

 _Our resolve blends together into one will and hardens. We must be strong. Brace ourself and do this. For Kay._

 _We double over, realigning limbs and joints on the fly. Our hands pound the passing earth milliseconds after our feet, now. Swiftly we lengthen the bones, fusing some together, and reinforce them with ligaments and muscles to accommodate the new form._

 _Gods. GODS. Like white lightning through the bones. We howl through jaws somewhere between mouth and snout. Every bit as painful as ever. A step falters. We forgot we only have three legs. We tuck our head as we fall, tumbling head over heels once. Catching ourselves on hind legs after the roll. Rising. Still running. Taller now, and covered in fur. One more bound and the shift is complete._

 _The bones feel like spikes are sticking out into surrounding tissue, tearing apart our work with every motion. We draw from Kay's gift—a feather hidden in our prosthetic—two weeks of life energy that she offered us. With this, we pay the cost of our shift and continue to sustain it, but the pain will not be silenced._

 _We are on Mystery's heels and gaining. Dare not slow to attack him. Who knows how far we can get with the energy given us? Must keep running. Must find Kay. Closer. Closer. Passing. His eye meets mine. No surprise. No hatred. No recognition. Flat. Void. His downstep is different as we pass. He will engage and fight, and we did not prepare!_

 _A hawkish shriek. Green flame roars up between us and him, but we did not make this fire. No time to observe. We stretch ourselves near flat to the ground with each pass of our legs. It has only been minutes, but we can catch a faint whiff of Kay's ocean-smell now and skyscrapers pepper our field of vision, growing steadily larger by the second._

 _Behind us there is that hawk cry again. For a moment, you wonder if Aji has returned to save us._

Couldn't be. Since when does Aji have fire? And every soul we've seen has had a specific associated color. There was no green in her.

 _Stop thinking about it! No more distractions. We have one focus: find Kay. Whatever just happened buys us time and distance. Mystery has fallen behind._

 _Crossing into town, our nostrils fill with the scent we seek; the smell of salt spray. We gather all four—three—paws together and spring high, landing three streets over. Screams and crashes all around. Again, spring. Leap. Land. Four more leaps. The Paradiso stands before us, Teles frozen in shock at the door. Turn toward the park, the route leading there, and dart along it._

 _Carrying Kay in our mouth is no good, we would suffocate for want of air. She would fall off our back at this speed, though. So thicken the scruff, growing it tall and tough. A shield against the wind. Dip the space between our shoulders, but do not compromise the spine._

 _There she is, just ahead. Turning, eyes rounded and fixed on us, talons out._

 _Oh, please, Kay. Do not be afraid of us._

 _We scrape to a stop, raking furrows in the sidewalk and road. Our sides heave—winded, and we have barely begun!_

 _Look at her. Ready to attack. She's never seen us like this. She has only heard stories of what we can become. She is afraid of us. Why does this… why does it…_

Artie knew why it hurt. Kay was to be protected against fears. He was not ever, ever supposed to be the cause of that fear. He failed each time Arcturus had nightmares, whatever they held, and often woke to the smell of her fear and sorrow. But this time he had chosen. They both chose this form and now she saw only a monster.

He opened his mouth to speak but _only a whine slips out. It hurts, the body hurts too much to speak. With a groan, we bend our only foreleg, pressing our chest to the ground, and attempt to wag our tails. She must climb to our back!_

 _Her eyes slip from our face over to the left side, where we lack a limb. Of course! We twitch our torso slightly, and the ridiculously tiny prosthetic still connected to our body jolts and shakes with the force. She will recognize it, won't she?_

 _She does. There is no more hesitation. She dives for our side and hauls herself up hand over hand. Strong Kay. Clever, beautiful Kay. She finds the divot between our shoulders and seats herself there. We will not take chances, so we grow the scruff of fur into a weave over and around her. It is impossible for her to be thrown off, now._

 _We rise to our feet and begin to run, picking up speed fast. Faster. Faster, even, than when we entered town. We will leave Mystery as far behind as possible._

And then, Arcturus, we are going to talk about everything.

 _You run to outrace smell and thought itself. You do not want to. You will not be forced into recall. Nobody can make you re-live this, not even yourself._

You said—

 _You close your consciousness against Artie. He will not disrupt an escape so vital to Kay's safety now that it has begun and he cannot coerce a confession from you. If you only keep running, you do not have to face Mystery, Mother, or yourself._

….

 **Note:** Just a note to say that, I don't know if any readers are aware but there's a companion fic (collection of related oneshots) to this series called Previously On Other Peoples' Heartache? I'm not sure you're aware because it's so very tiny and I haven't updated it in two years. HOWEVER. I bring it up now because I just dropped a chapter in there that is HIGHLY PERTINENT to what is going on, and if you know your Greek mythology it also drops major hints. Chapter title excerpted from White Flag by The Romanovs.


	9. Gonna Lose My Own Head

Vivi clutched Chloe's mane, burying her face in sweaty unicorn hide for a few precious seconds of sanity-gathering. Lewis banged around in her ribcage like a panicked hummingbird, trying to remember how they'd worked together last time. Chloe was blessedly silent, hooking her neck back around Vivi and whickering concern but not asking questions yet.

Lewis rushed through her arms and pooled into her hands, but Vivi yanked him back, compressing him up by her collarbone. "No!" she shouted. "We are _not_ rushing into this! Last time I did that it set us way back and I don't care if things have to happen right now, we are going to _think this through._ Especially because I can barely think! So help me process this and don't push past me!"

"You said Mystery's going after hostages?" Chloe prodded. "Who?"

"Dulcie!" cried Lewis, through Vivi's lips. "We have to get Dulcie and Lance, then grab Kay. We have to go _now_!"

Vivi jerked her head from side to side. "Just because Arthur came up with that plan doesn't mean it's the right one!" she seethed. "He's doing his best but he's panicked too! Lewis, stop fighting me and see if we have any other solutions!"

Chloe laid her ears back. "I could fight Mystery. He wouldn't dare touch me."

"So he wouldn't bother with a fight, he'd change forms into something much faster than you and run off," Lewis countered.

"Not if I injure him enough," Chloe replied, grim.

"Again! He would just have to be faster than you! And you don't have total control over that shockwave you send out. You don't even know if that would work on him. Even if you stun him, there's nothing to keep him from turning into something that can sneak off under the radar. I'm sure he has a thousand forms he hasn't even begun to use in front of us."

A flicker of an idea lit up in Vivi's mind. "Then… then we have to stop him from shapeshifting." Her hand went up to her throat. "We have to steal his Hoshi no Tama. That way, he'll have to obey us. We can keep him from attacking anyone, maybe even get information. I know where he hides it, I can grab it. Then we can…" she took in a ragged breath.

Lewis broke in. "But Vee, if Mystery turns on us, or if this plan goes really badly, like bite-your-hand-off-badly, there's no one to protect Dulcie and Lance. Please. If we're not going for subtlety, it won't take more than two minutes to pick them up through the mansion. Please. Then we can try for more information from Mystery if you really need that."

Exhaling slowly, Vivi nodded. It made sense. "I'm sorry. I just… I don't want to butcher this and right now I'm not totally sure what's reasonable." She stepped back from Chloe and spread her hands out, swiveling them at the wrists. A pink glow lit her fingertips.

"Chloe, when the door appears, rush it." Vivi's voice deepened as Lewis muttered, "It's still hard to sustain doorways by themselves."

…

The body's senses sifted through a heavy veil before reaching Artie. Wherever Arcturus had crammed him, it was nowhere near enough to the surface to affect anything.

If he didn't break through, Arcturus would burn both ends of the candle to get away from whatever he was scared of. Apparently "Mother" was bad enough that Arcturus was blatantly ignoring his job as their survival mechanism, which meant Artie had to step in.

He'd been deeper than this, once. When trying to escape Arcturus and fade away for good, Artie had tried to lose himself in these depths. For now, though, Arcturus didn't want him gone. Just silent.

Last time there had been an active search for him, something of a rope he could use to pull himself back into concrete consciousness. He didn't have time to wait for that to happen again. Kay had no way of knowing he was being suppressed, though she'd figure it out whenever she next talked to Arcturus. By that time Arcturus might have burned through their whole lifespan.

Fear. It saturated their mind, cracking like glass windowpanes eternally shattering. Artie doubted Arcturus was bothering to distinguish various causes for the fear at this point and was just running out of instinct.

Could he break through via base instinctive reactions? He stretched down deeper, sifting through to the moment-to-moment impulses. The contact overran him _oh gods oh gods we are going to be unmade and there is nothing I can do about it_ and he pulled out, his thoughts scrambled. These impulses would scatter him all over the mind if he tried to influence them, he wasn't strong enough.

The thought occurred to Artie that he was still capable of shifting, and that perhaps this ability extended to his own brain. He strained to recall scans of his and Dib's brains that the doctor had laid out for him. Dib had wanted him, Teles, and Kay to get a better handle on the different parts of the human brain so they could help with further analysis on the effects of the Siren voice. He'd also assigned reading, which Arthur hadn't completed yet.

He groped through what reading he'd done for any useful fragments.

 _Parietel lobes recognize and interpret sensory information and spatial relations._

 _Thalamus receives senses and processes them._

 _Amygdala… Amygdala is where fight or flight takes place! It manages emotions that have to do with survival!_

Where was the amygdala? Could he take himself there? No, he didn't want to go there, he'd be swept up in the terror, like Arcturus. Could he shift it just enough so that it was calmer?

It was a workable plan and he didn't have time to find a better one. Arcturus would burn through their lifespan running like this. Whatever damage he did, Artie was confident Arcturus would be able to help him fix it once everything was calmer.

Source of the torrential fear. That's where the Amygdala would be. He didn't plunge into the current, skimming along the top instead, following it down. Down. Down. There. There it was.

Artie wrapped around the Amygdala and squeezed. _Calm,_ he thought. _Calm._

The flood stopped, slowing by degrees. Adrenaline began to drop out of their bloodstream and the pain tore through their body. The body began to shrink and the legs collapsed, sending them flying head over heels.

….

Vivi stood in the mansion foyer, drenched with sweat. She hadn't had to maneuver this interdimensional monstrosity in months and it was like juggling barbells to hold the mansion together while popping its front door in and out of existence where she wanted it to appear.

"Girl, you've gotta be daft openin' a door mid-shop and havin' a unicorn drag me through it," Lance barked. "D'ye have any idea the kind of upside-downedness ye've thrown my team into? Done my best to keep all this magical crap under wraps, 'specially with Artie workin' there, and you go hurl a bowlin' ball at my house'a cards! What am I s'posed ta tell the guys now?"

"I'm sure there's a good reason?" Dulcie asked, sidling up to Chloe.

Chloe nuzzled Dulcie, whickering, "A very good reason, but not enough time to tell you. Onegaishimasu, you must stay here. If you see Mystery or…" she paused for a moment, then jerked her head, "Or if you see Arthur-sama, run and hide yourselves deep in the mansion. Right now they are danger, or in danger, and we're not sure which is which."

Lance's anger gave way to dismay. "You can't just say somethin' like that an' bench me! What kinda trouble—"

"Can't, Lance!" Vivi gasped. "I'm sorry. Promise, explain later. Chloe!" Vivi barreled through the front door, followed closely by Chloe. The door vanished, leaving them back in the desert by Duet's grave. Vivi collapsed to her hands and knees. "Can. We. Not. Ever. Again."

Warmth surged through her limbs and she found herself back on her feet, unsteady but standing.

"Now what, Vivi-chan?" Chloe bent her forelegs, putting her back in reach. "We go after Mystery?"

Huffing, Vivi nodded, swinging her leg up and over Chloe's withers.

"Which way?"

For a moment, Vivi forgot to breathe. Now that she'd left the scene and come back, she had no idea what direction Mystery had gone. Wind had swept any tracks away. As she scanned the ground, a green spot on the horizon caught her eye. It was far from the road and rolled ever so slightly back and forth.

"There!" She crouched over Chloe's neck. "That green speck! Looks like Arthur had to pull out the big guns. We can still back him up!"

Chloe lunged forward. The jolt of her gait nearly knocked Vivi free and jammed her stomach up into her lungs. Vivi curled over Chloe's neck, clinging in senseless desperation. Chloe's legs were a blur. Sand pelted Vivi's cheeks. A screech like endlessly tearing sheets of metal rose above the roaring of the wind in her ears.

"Tondemonai!" Chloe gasped. "Vivi-chan!"

Lifting her head, Vivi caught an eyefull of brilliant green billowing out and lifted her arm to shield her face. The green vanished a moment later, leaving her vision swimming with huge blotches.

"Did you see that?" Chloe demanded.

"Green was all I saw. Was there more?" Vivi mumbled, lifting her glasses to rub her eyes. She squinted into the slithery visual distortions. A darker blotch lay on the ground and it wasn't moving. "Hold that thought, what's over there?"

"Over where?"

Vivi slid off Chloe's back and pointed.

"That's your baka dog."

Vivi was halfway to Mystery's side before Lewis stopped her feet, sending her facefirst to the ground. " _Vivi, no!"_

"Let go, you cold bowl of conscripted soup! That's my dog!"

"Right now, that's the enemy!"

"That's my dog!" Vivi roared, flooding Lewis with months of stored worry, grief, and anxiety. "Let me get my dog!" Wrenching forward, she crawled to Mystery's side one jerked limb at a time.

It was freshman year all over again, kneeling over a half-dead dog that wasn't aware enough to acknowledge her. Mystery's fur had been largely singed off and his hide was scored with three-line slashes from haunch to snout. His six tails lay limp in the sand. There was no sign of Arthur, only a prairie hawk wheeling overhead.

"We've got it!" Chloe trumpted in excitement. "The soul gem!"

Vaguely, Vivi felt the mental tug that signaled Lewis sending out a Deadbeat. A moment later, a little pink ghost tucked a small, glassy orb into Vivi's hands. "It was already out, a few feet off," Lewis muttered. "What happened here?"

The scorch marks were worst on his muzzle and his lips had been cut to ribbons. Vivi tightened her grip on the soul gem, whispering, "Mystery. Smaller."

One eyelid cracked, the eye sliding around to fix on Vivi before the lid closed again. Mystery's body folded in on itself, shrinking down until he was, once again, a simple dog.

Vivi tucked the gem in her pocket and scooped Mystery into her arms. "Chloe, take us back to Tome Tomb."

…..

 **Note:** Hey, just wanted to apologize for the 2-month writing gap for this story. The emotional roller coaster + drying up of the writing muse struck again. I'm also a lot closer to the wedding date and I'm still working on furnishing/decorating the house we moved to. If things go dead quiet around Mid-October through late November, it's because I'm in the middle of wedding whirlwind. Fun side note, I got to meet up with Ffnet user EndlessMemories, old high school friend I hadn't talked to for ten years, the person who first explained to me what fanfiction even was. I got to point at her and yell, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT," as she laughed her head off. Good times. Chapter title excerpted from Unstable by Chaotica.


	10. Nobody Wants To Die Too Fast

Kay lay sprawled on her stomach, one arm folded under her and one flung wide, cheek pressed against rock. Dirt and copper mixed along her tongue and she spat reflexively. Confused, she jerked back the flung-wide arm to push her up. The wrist underneath her was the wrong size and the puffy flesh ringing it was definitely the wrong color. Her uniform was scuffed but had protected the skin beneath. She'd lost her shoes.

Pine. Pine needles and a hint of some sweet, flowery aroma. She turned her head with a calm that felt misplaced. The setting sun shadow-cast every nook in the scraggled slope angling away above her and the mountain looming overhead seemed to be glaring down. Swivelling her head in the other direction was little better. Another mountain filled her vision. It was like crouching between two massive ogres that wanted to step on her. Flatten the little siren that dared think she might have possibly gotten away from curses and supernatural intrigues she hadn't started and never wanted to be a part of in the first place.

Would she ever truly escape?

And over there, fetched up against the lowest slope of the closer mountain, Arthur. No clothes to shield him from impact. His skin was scraped to bleeding in many places. He looked so peaceful on his back. Head against a red-splattered stone. Mouth open.

She inched over on hand and knees, keeping her puffy wrist tucked against her chest. Too peaceful inside her. Too peaceful on his face. Picking her way past wind-stripped scrub, she balanced on her knees and reached out the good arm. It was shaking, she noted as she laid her hand on his chest.

It rose and fell beneath her hand. "Oh," wisped through her lips as the dreaminess dissolved into sudden, wracking sobs. The shakes worked up her arm and throughout her body as shock clashed with relief.

Her palms stung, her wrist ached, her face throbbed. Cold wind spewed grit at the side of her face. Digging her phone out of her pocket, she tapped the screen. No service. She gazed up at the fading light, choking on all the fears crowding up her throat at once.

Arthur was hurt and she didn't know how to help him. They needed shelter and she'd never learned survival skills. Where would she find food? Where had they stopped? She couldn't get in touch with anyone. Could she even fly with her wrist like this?

The mountain winds seemed to sigh a low, soothing note. Panic subsided as abruptly as it had begun, leaving her tears stumbling in their flow. She had to barrel through and figure something out. Jamming the phone back into her pocket, she fumbled with the buttons on her uniform jacket. Once she'd stripped that off, she untied the apron. The jacket was too small to fit Arthur into, so she carefully leaned him into a sitting position and double knotted the arms around his waist, leaving the rest to hang down in front. The apron she wrapped around his chest. Respiratory issues could kill if they were stranded out here and she wanted to put at least one layer of cloth between his chest and the chill wind.

He hadn't responded to her touch. His eyelids twitched rapidly. She kissed his lips briefly. "Please wait here, Arthur. I'm going to find somewhere for us to stay. Or get help." She hesitated, then hugged him and said with firm deliberation, "Don't die."

Rising unsteadily, she limped into the long grass. Whipped flat by the wind, it lashed her ankles in passing. There was a long stretch of meadow between the mountain slopes, narrowing the further back it went until the mountains appeared to touch. Maybe there was a cave somewhere, or a large tree. If she headed away from where the mountains met, though, she might even find a small town or resort that might loan her use of their phone. Or her reception might be strong enough to call someone from there. Nightfall might even allow her to see evening house lights and follow them into town.

A short yip broke through her thoughts. Glancing down, she spotted a fox crouched by her feet, ears limp and jaws spread wide to pant. She skirted it carefully. Could foxes give you rabies? She didn't know anything about being out in the wild. The helplessness was surging again, a paralysis creeping through her body. What if she did something wrong and she was the reason Arthur died? What if they both died out here because she didn't know enough about foxes, or what berries were poisonous? What if there wasn't anybody in walking distance? Should she stay in the meadow by the mountains and try to find shelter?

The fox gave a pathetic whimper, darting forward and circling to the front again. Kay tried to get around it, but it continued to block her, whining.

A chill crept up Kay's spine. If a wild animal wasn't attacking you, it was usually running away, right? Then, what was this? Why?

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The fox tilted its head, then turned and darted past Kay, behind her, toward the back of the meadow where the slopes of the mountains met. A low, sad note trailed behind it.

Kay turned and stumbled after it, arms outstretched, her mouth open as her throat closed on the words she wanted to cry. _Wait,_ _don't leave! I've heard this song before!_

It wasn't running away. Occasionally the song would stop and the fox would pause to glance back at her, as if to be sure she was following, before loping on. The shadows of the mountains rushed out to greet her, swallowing her own shadow as she floundered on. Deeper into the meadow where trees sprang up every few paces and still the fox led her on.

She spotted the cabin before the fox stopped in front of it, tongue lolling out of its mouth and sides pumping like little bellows. A grimy wood structure with the front door hanging off one hinge. A firepit had been dug out in front and lined with stones at some point. The stones still bore black scorchmarks, but the meadow had reclaimed most of the pit through the spaces in between. A tree leaned heavily on the roof, as if supporting itself there. Brush poked through the slats of the questionable looking steps leading to the porch.

The fox darted under the porch. Kay dragged herself over, switching to the flashlight on her cell and shining it underneath the porch to illuminate the crawlspace under the cabin. Cinderblocks, brush, stray logs. Too many places for the fox to hide. She couldn't see it. Unless she wriggled in after it, she wouldn't find anything.

Another note, sad and pleading, drifted out to her from the darkness. In a flash, she pictured Arthur, shivering in the cold as night fell. Swallowing, she shut off her phone's flashlight and cleared her throat hard. "You… you're obviously a... please, don't go. I… there aren't many, you know? I just… I need to know who you are. I have questions. I... Please don't leave."

Abandoning the crawlspace, she turned back the way she'd come. It was going to be hard going to get Arthur back here if he was still unconscious and the light was almost gone.

…...

 _"I will bury you so deep, nobody will be able to find you."_ _You send this cold threat ringing through the whole brain as you repair the damage Artie has done to the amygdala and take care of the head injury they'd sustained while tumbling._

Artie hid as close to the subconscious as he dared without falling in.

 _"You have become a threat to our survival."_

A direct response to Arcturus would broadcast Artie's location, but if he could sneak replies into the background, perhaps he'd be safe. Artie sent concepts down into the subconscious depths below him: Arcturus was failing in his duty to keep them safe, carelessly burning through their physical resources without agreement; Arcturus was refusing to share vital information, eliminating their ability to co-process and come to workable plans and solutions; If Arcturus really buried Artie, Kay would never ever ever forgive him for that decision.

There was no warning. In a flash, a single point of crystalline rage and terror pinned Artie down, too close to the stream of subconscious thought for comfort. Arcturus was so close they could sense each others' intents and thoughts. He had gotten better at figuring out where Artie could be since they languished in the Membrane Labs hospital bed.

 _"Kay accepted me. She knows I am Arthur just as much as you are. I could claim we healed, that we returned to one mind. She'd never know you were gone." This is the best solution. Then Artie won't get in the way anymore and Arthur will be preserved. Safe from Mother._

"In all this turmoil she wouldn't believe we've healed for a second. She won't forgive you for this, no more than she'd forgive me for getting rid of you."

 _"She'd forgive you for that in a heartbeat!" you snarl. "I'm the damage! You all want to be rid of the damage and you don't really care what happens to me in the process!"_

"You're the only one who claims you're nothing more than damage! You were born out of the damage, that's different!" Pressure drove Artie to the very edge of the subconscious stream of thought. "I need you to hold me back when my plan is so stupid it would burn us out. But right now, you're making the stupid plan and you need me to tell you that! Look at how much time we burned, Arcturus! I guarantee you it's more than two weeks' worth."

 _"It doesn't matter!" Fear blooms larger than rage, consuming you again. "We have to get away, as far and as fast as we can go!"_

"From who? Why? Arcturus, I can help! Why won't you look at the problem?"

 _"I told you! Looking at it will destroy us!"_

"Look at our body! We're already destroying ourselves by not addressing this! What could possibly be worse?"

 _"There are many things worse than death!" You roar, trying to drown out Artie's reasoning. "There's experiencing a slow emptying of your existence while fully aware of it! There's being unmade, unloved, abandoned! There's all this and then knowing you will suffer death at the end of it anyway, that it is not a road to survival but ultimately to the death you sought to circumvent in the first place!"_

"You think that because you're so locked into your fear you can't see any other way out!" Artie cast about desperately for something reasonable he could use to break through to Arcturus. "You don't have to remember it alone! Before Mystery showed up, you were thinking about talking to Kay, remember? Letting her help us remember safely. Let me in on this, I can help you think about what to do about all this! Arcturus, please. Let's work this out together."

The pressure eased. Cautiously, Artie drew on memories of soaking in the abundant warmth of Kay's love, not stolen, but offered freely. The strength it had given them to recollect themselves, even when it was painful. He floated these to Arcturus, allowing him to process this.

 _The anger dissipates. The fear recedes enough for you to release Artie as you cradle the warm memories to yourself. You feel as if you are emerging from a blinding blizzard, cold and lost, to find a campfire waiting to welcome you._

 _Nausea sweeps through you as you finally consider the damage to your body that Artie kept mentioning. "I… don't want to look… how much time did I cost us?"_

Artie didn't want to know either, but he reached out as Arcturus had showed him, assessing the strength of their organs down to the tissues, down to the cells, down to the telomeres...

"We've been running at impossible speeds in Kitsune form for hours with a glamour to cloak our passing," he said. "There's no way of telling where we are, we might be on another continent right now. Then we changed the amygdala back and forth and fixed the head injury. That's about a year's worth all told."

 _You absorb warmth from the memory Artie passed you. In the contrast of its heat, you realize you have absorbed all fear the both of you have about the Shiker's past. What normally would be shared, you have kept to yourself and allowed to fester into blind reaction._

 _Artie is close enough to sense the realization and is dismayed that you have taken this on yourself. Dismayed he did not see it happening. Didn't realize he was taking more of the love and you were taking more of the fear. But you wanted all the fear. Hoped it would keep you sharp to protect yourselves. Instead it overflowed and sent you into a blind panic._

 _"We will talk to Kay," you say quietly. "Artie, I am afraid that looking back will destroy…"_

The hesitation was just long enough for it to click. "You're afraid it will destroy _you_." Artie slumped. "All this time… It wouldn't destroy _us_ , but it could wreck _you._ "

 _You could become a monster again, mimic more closely the Shiker whose memories you bear. You could vanish, overwhelmed by the enormity of what happened. You could lose all will and never move again. You could-_

"You could lean a little more on me and Kay," Artie sighed. "All that stuff _could_ happen, but it's unlikely with us all working through this. It's going to get worse _for sure_ if you keep doing things like you just did."

 _You whine, keening with fear and collapsing in on yourself. You don't want to, you don't want to, you don't want to._

Artie drew closer to Arcturus. On the oddest impulse, he enfolded his other part warmly. "Come on. You're not the Shiker, and you're not alone. Give us a chance to deal with this together."

 _You allow yourself to be held and comforted by your other self. Defeat doesn't taste nearly as bitter as you thought._

…...

 **Note:** I did not forget about the fox.Bit of a heavy personal note here. I don't really know what to think. I had to see a psychiatrist recently for reasons too long to fit here. They said I couldn't possibly be Bipolar 2 and that I had been misdiagnosed. I've been returned to my first diagnosis, major depressive (in remission). Others in my life are not convinced that THIS is a correct diagnosis and have very convincing reasoning. I guess, all I have to say is, if I have in any way misrepresented Bipolar 2, I'm sorry. I've factored it in as a major part of Vivi's character at this point and can't POOF it, so I will continue descriptions based on my own experience, as I have before. _"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." -Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, & Sol Marcus. _Chapter title excerpted from Reluctant Heroes by NateWantsToBattle.


	11. So Hold Me Close

"I don't like this," Lewis muttered. "I don't like this at all."

Vivi ignored the words coming from her mouth and continued washing Mystery's wounds.

Halfway to Tome Tomb, Vivi's brain had caught up to her. Based on what they'd just done, a very stocky unicorn had been spotted popping out of a ghostly door at two different locations in the city. The Kingsmen Mechanics team no longer had Lance to keep them from spreading the word and Lewis' stunt had likely terrified both them and Dulcie's vocal coach out of their wits. Dib was going to murder her. It would be all over social media feeds shortly, and from there it was only a short hop to local news, if not larger outlets.

Chloe the totally-not-a-unicorn-just-a-draft-horse mascot of Tome Tomb, where friendly ghosts supposedly resided, would suddenly be a more questionable creature. People would be banging on the doors of Tome Tomb to get in and see if there was any weight to the connection, and that didn't take into account the Dib Membrane types who would be lock-picking back doors and planting bugs and cameras all over the bookstore.

Besides, she didn't have anything at Tome Tomb to help Mystery.

At these realizations, she had ordered a couple Deadbeats on ahead of her, telling them to alert Mr. and Mrs. Pepper that they were en route to the Pepper home and needed to lay low. Chloe changed direction accordingly, and not long afterward Mr. Pepper ushered them into the Pepper home.

The front porch had holes, loose boards, and giant scuff marks by the time Chloe managed to jam herself through the door. She barely made it to the living room before she buckled to the floor, her sides heaving. Foam dripped from her lips, spattering the carpet and nearby couch when she turned her head. Mr. Pepper hurried to bring her a large bowl of water.

Lewis barely got to explain that Dulcie was already safe and that yes, absolutely, Dad should call Mom to come back home, before Vivi bolted for the nearest bathroom.

Grim-faced, she filled the tub. Kicking off her shoes, she knelt in the warm water, easing Mystery in, and began washing desert grit from his wounds. He gave no indication he was aware of her actions.

The Hoshi no Tama lay heavy in her pocket. She had never forced his cooperation before and it felt so wrong, but what choice did she have? The info-dump Arthur had passed on through Lewis played through her mind on repeat. Mystery had almost…

Lewis shuddered, retreating from the thought.

And he still would if Vivi gave back his soul gem.

Chloe was exhausted and asking her to heal Mystery right now was out of the question. Besides, Mystery was Vivi's dog. Her responsibility.

Infuriating, supportive, protective, undaunted Mystery. How many times had he been there for her, coaxing her to eat something? Nudging her toward her bed? Curling up in her lap and licking away the tears? How often had he looked out for her, both in and out of dog form?

 _"Vivi, of all people, you don't need to convince me of your sanity. I know you're perfectly sane even when you're in a swing, and I'm fully aware you're angry. I'm not here to babysit you. I'm here because you need a friend."_

Vivi dammed the tears. Now wasn't the time to implode.

" _Allow me to escort you to the nearest pizza shop. I believe it's been awhile since you've eaten. You can vent all you want in between slices, but I insist you have at least three."_

 _"Damn it all, Vivi!" he shouted, his hands balled into fists. "After all the times I watch you fall apart, can I not have this one time?_

"You know, Lew, when the day was over and the cases solved and I came home, it was you and him. You and him, holding me together all the time, no matter how bad it got for me. Now it's bad for him, worse than it's ever been, worse than I even understand, but I don't have to understand it all right now."

She checked over each wound one more time. Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed a towel from the nearby rack. Water streamed off both of them, puddling on the bathroom floor. "Sure, I'm madder than a wasp on triple espresso that he ditched me, but he's back. And _he_ needs _me_ this time." She wrapped the towel around Mystery and sent off one Deadbeat to get her more towels and another to bring her whatever First Aid materials it could find. Abandoning the bathroom, she dripped her way over to Kay's old room. She sat on the bed, drying what remained of Mystery's fur and carefully dabbing the raw-looking, exposed skin.

According to Arthur, Mystery had come back to her utterly starved of every good thing. Whoever this "Mother" was, she would have to fight Vivi for Mystery, because Vivi wouldn't release him back into that kind of care as long as she drew breath.

…..

Arthur opened his eyes to darkness. The stench of rotted wood and rodent droppings crowded his nostrils and nearby something _scraped-_ paused- _scraped_ in a near-steady rhythm. His head throbbed somewhere in the sensory backdrop, and when he shifted his skin stung all over.

He slid his hand along a large cloth draped over him-a blanket? He was lying flat on his back on something slightly softer than packed earth.

The scraping continued to punctuate the darkness, accompanied by heavy breathing that hitched every now and then.

 _Kay._

 _You push yourself into a sitting position, your arms trembling as your feet find the rough wooden floor. "Kay?" You try to keep your voice soft._

" _Don't worry." Her voice is shaky. "I've almost got it. I'll have a fire going in a minute. Just lie down. Any minute now."_

 _Again, the scrape, followed by a spark of light that flares into fire at the tip of a match. It wavers as she guides it into a small, pot-bellied stove, before flickering out. You swallow hard, picking up a pervasive smell of sulfur as you crouch by her._

 _You reach past, laying a hand on the pile of branches, twigs, and logs crammed every which-way into the stove. You recall, for a moment, Demeter's stone eyes upon you. The curse she laid on children who weren't even born and the ones she sacrificed to achieve her own ends, and the stove roars with green flame. You withdraw your hand as the green shifts color, settling down to a natural, merry orange, eating away at the fuel within as you close the stove door. You catch a glimpse of dozens of burnt out matches on the ground._

 _A blanket drops over your shoulders and Kay pulls you to your feet. "You shouldn't do that." Her voice is hard. "I would have gotten it."_

 _Irritation flickers into harsh response. "I was trying to help."_

" _Well stop! Stop trying to help!" She sits you down hard on what you now see is a bed. You feel the frame through the thin mattress. "You got us out of the city, for whatever reason you had, now let me deal with the rest."_

 _The compulsion to obey her overrides the knowledge that she's too angry to be careful with her choice of words. She doesn't even know what 'the rest' entails and she thinks she can handle it without you? The irritation builds into something else, something hotter, and your words come out scorching. "I thought helping each other was something we're supposed to do as a married couple. Was I mistaken?"_

" _How dare you." If your voice is searing, hers rings hard as stone. "You waltz up to me in a form I've never seen, burn gods alone know how much of your lifespan dragging me who knows where, collapse naked in the mountains, and then tell me that you are the only one allowed to help?"_

" _I didn't-" you cut yourself off, blinking. Naked? In the pause, she continues as if you said nothing._

" _If you could look in a mirror right now, you wouldn't be so quick to use yourself up like that!" Her voice pitches higher and she clutches her arms. "Do you even stop to think about what it will be like for me when you're dead? Did you even once think about how you're bringing that closer by doing this?"_

 _Half a dozen protests crowd your mouth at once. It isn't like you overdraw your limits all the time. You've been careful up to this point. Lighting a fire hardly costs you anything. She doesn't understand what the dangers were and when she does,_ she _will be the one apologizing. She-_

Artie shut Arcturus down, fuming. It was like he completely skipped over the heart of what Kay had said. He lifted his real hand to his face, tracing the new lines in his forehead and down his cheeks. He wondered if he had white streaks in his hair again. He wondered how long Kay had crouched there, trying to light a fire to keep them warm. He wondered how far she had to drag him and how she'd found the cabin. All the uncertainties she'd had to face before he woke up, and all the answers she wanted but was too upset to ask for right now.

And he wondered, uneasily, how accurate his own estimations of lifespan expenditure really were.

He knocked his prosthetic against the bed frame to draw her attention, then patted the mattress next to him. Scowling, she sat down. There was, Arthur noticed, a good two feet of distance between them.

 **We're sorry,** he signed, the motions very small. **We're sorry we scared you, Kay. We're scared too, and didn't know what else to do.** He hung his head, a sense of deep inadequacy creeping up from his gut. **We're not supposed to scare you, we're supposed to protect you.**

"I need you to protect me from losing you! Don't you understand?"

Arthur's hands went up to his ears with a cry as her battle-ready pitch sliced at his mind, raking pain through his head.

"Arthur! No, I'm sorry! I…" Kay crumpled, pressing her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry…"

Slowly, Arthur removed his hands from his ears as the pain subsided. He stretched his arms out to her, and she tilted over, clinging to him. He scooted closer, wrapping the blanket around them both.

 _Your voice is heavy as you respond. "We are sorry. Both of us. We are trying our best, but we still seem to end up hurting you. But I have reached an agreement with Artie that will reduce this sort of incident in the future. We hope."_

 _She takes a few breaths, then straightens to look at you. The fire lights only half her face and it is hard to read her expression. "Does that agreement involve an explanation of what just happened?"_

 _Miserable, you nod your head. "And more. Kay, I need your help. I'm…" your voice fails. You can't, you can't, you can't ask her because then that makes it real, makes it unavoidable. Please, no, there has to be some other way-_

Artie signed quickly, **Arcturus can take us both inside the memories he's been holding back. He's finally agreed to it, but we need you.** He paused, realizing the gravity of what they were doing, the depth of the darkness they would be exposing for Kay to see. **Kay, if you come, you will probably see terrible things, but I don't think we can do this without you. You can guide us through this, make us strong enough to bear the past.** **Please. I need this information so we can know who we're dealing with, why, and what we can do about it.**

Kay dropped her head on his shoulder for a moment. He tucked his chin over her temple. The love he tasted was tinged with hurt and anger, but still warmed him. Steadied him.

She stood abruptly, tucking the blanket firmly around him. "First thing's first. Catch… please catch me up on what just happened and why we're out here in the first place. While you do that, I'll see if we have any supplies. It's going to be a long night, and we could both use some food and water before we get started. And," she sighed, plucking at her shirtsleeves, "Ignore commands I have given you in the last few minutes. I'm sorry, I'll try to be more careful with my phrasing."

Artie smiled weakly. Through a series of tests they had recently worked out that careless commands could be negated by a blanket statement, if it was specific enough. He was grateful for the gesture.

 _You stand, gripping the blanket shut with one hand and reaching the other out to take hers. You hope, you pray, that there is a way out of this, like Artie claims._

….

 **Note:** WHO'S EXCITED FOR HELLBENT AND THE NEXT ROUND OF HEADCANON SMASHING WITH THE RELEASE OF HELLBENT NEXT WEEK? MEEEEEEE! The last round of heacanon smashing for me was finding out the canon ages, names, and appearances of the Pepper sisters when it was waaaaaaay too late to change anything in this series. Still, as much as it sucks to get headcanons crushed, it's more than made up for by the fact of FRESH CANON CONTENT which will be followed by NEW WAVE OF FANS and FRESH FAN CONTENT. I'm so PSYCHED I could cry happy tears. Chapter title excerpted from Raging Fire by Phillip Phillips.


	12. Who's Gonna Hold You Tonight?

_Observation kicks in only when Kay yelps, yanking her hand out of yours. Alarmed, you reach after it, palm open, a silent request to see the damage you did not realize was there. She places it back in your hand, muttering that it's fine, that she's getting along with it okay she just has to be careful with it._

 _The palm of her hand is a network of scrapes packed with dirt and granules. Her wrist is the size of a tennis ball. How did we both manage to skip over this? You lift your eyes to her face and see the firelit side is no better than her hand._

 _You were looking right at it._ We were both looking right at it. _What kind of husband_ are we? She dragged _us here and tried to light that_ fire and took care of us _while we couldn't care for ourself._ Still can't care for ourself, we need food. _We are too weak to do much. We need protein, and quickly._ But not so quick we don't start taking care of her. _Yes. Ourself can wait._

 _You loosen the apron tied around your chest and tear it. You cast eyes around for anything that might work as a splint, but it is night and the firelight from the closed-up stove is not enough to see much. The splint will have to wait. You fashion a crude sling. She accepts your efforts, allowing you to tie it around her neck and settling her arm in it._

" _Do we have water?" you ask._

" _We have a well," she answers. "I drew one bucket. It… isn't a very full bucket, but I can get more."_

 _She would have splashed out a lot if she didn't have two hands to steady a rope and bucket, but she still tried. Oh, Kay. Your chest is tight. "Where is it?"_

 _She drags a steel bucket over from the stove area, sloshing more water on the ground, and sits next to you again. You tear a thin strip off the end of the blanket and wrap it around the four fingers of your right hand._

Arcturus faded to the background. Even seated, Arthur weaved, unsteady. Arcturus had pulled back to manage their exhaustion as best as he could, but they needed food. Protein to help replenish their strength.

But first, Kay.

He dipped his wrapped hand into the bucket and brought it up to her face. With his left hand, he plucked out larger bits of gravel and with his right he gingerly swabbed the torn skin, washing out the dirt. Her teeth sank into her lip, her cheek muscles jerking, but she held still. Silent.

When he had finished with her cheek, he moved on to her palms, taking extra care with the injured hand. He ripped another two strips off the blanket.

"We're going to need to sleep under that," she mumbled. "Not too much."

He didn't respond, using the strips to wrap her palms. After this, he settled her injured arm back into the sling.

A quick test confirmed he could not stand up from the bed at this point. He pulled the cloth off his fingers and signed, **Food stored here?**

"I didn't check yet." She rose and crossed to the part of the room where the shadows had congregated, hiding from the dim light of the stove. She clicked on her phone, passing it over cabinets as she checked each.

" _Can you call anyone?" You exert yourself to speak. It is urgent to exchange information with the others as soon as possible. Find out if Mystery is still following._ Or if anyone had been captured.

" _No reception. We'll need to conserve the battery for when we get in range. I don't have a charger and I doubt this place has electricity anyway. Ah." She pulls a can out. "Pork and beans. Looks like a lot of canned pork and beans. Oh, hey." She pulled out a metal tin and finagled it open. "Not sure if this is any good, but it looks like jerky, maybe."_

 _It will do. It will do for now. Try to hold back and leave some, we don't know when we will next-_

 _Blood. Fresh blood. You abandon the blanket, dragging yourself off the bed and across the floor, practically crawling to the door where the smell comes from. Fresh blood. Fresh kill._

" _Arthur?" Kay's voice is unsure, her feet drawing close as you claw at the door. Above your head, Kay pulls back the latch and you jerk the door open._

Moonlight and stars provided enough light to make out the offering left on the porch. Artie recoiled from the pile. A pair of rabbits, a game bird of some kind, a couple squirrels. Plucked. Skinned. Tied together with string and dumped on the porch. Or had it been there? No, he had only just begun to smell it a moment ago. Kay had been with him the whole time. Who left it?

 _Protein._

Artie gagged, covering a hand with his mouth. He couldn't eat raw meat.

 _You can't, but I can._

He couldn't. It had to be cooked. They had a fire, they could cook the meat. He could be patient, could wait. Please.

 _No. Now. You shove Artie into a far, dark corner of the mind, sealing him away from the senses. He need not experience this. You are not hung up by fears of microbes or terrible tastes and textures. Your body needs protein, and you are no longer human enough for any real illness to come through food. You crawl out onto the porch._

 _You hesitate one moment longer. "Kay." You speak to her, eyes fixed on the food left behind. You nearly shake with need, but the shame of it galls. In your mind you see yourself from her eyes. What you look like, what you act like. Shame is such a new, unpleasant experience. You swallow back the saliva already pooling in your mouth. "Please don't watch me."_

 _The door creaks shut behind you. A moment later there is only the tearing of flesh and snapping of bones._

 _We will live. I will make sure of it._

…..

Kay retreated from the door. Curling up on the bed proved awkward and painful with her arm in the sling, so she sat, resting cross legged on the mattress with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her back to the wall, trying to ignore the ripping, growling noises out on the front porch.

Her stomach turned over three ways as she tried to sort out her feelings and where they came from. The revulsion and fear were easy, her husband had just fallen on freshly killed animals like an animal himself. The kitsune melded into his body was real, was ravenous, and very large and frightening when it manifested. What possibly kept it from seeing her as food?

Shame was harder. She didn't want to think the thoughts that would tell her why she was ashamed. It was like trying to scoop up smoldering coals and hold them long enough to see the parts that burned brightest.

She had to. This was Arthur. Her Arthur, and she needed to know where she had built a wall between them. She would not seal everything off in silence and sadness. She would not turn away from him. Not like Mom. Kay needed Arthur, and he needed her. He'd just promised he would do the work to delve into his worst parts and find the information they needed. She could do no less.

Along her arm, a single row of feathers sprouted and she stared at them in the firelight. The center shafts were pale yellow, deepening in color toward the edges so that they appeared almost burnished gold toward the very end, where the vanes and barbs were longest. It was not so very long ago she was convinced that she was the monster, the bogey, the one who would be hunted and captured and killed if any human found out and lived to tell the tale. It was she who would never find love, because love would always be coerced by her own voice. She remembered fantasies of unleashing her talons and tearing out her own vocal cords. She pulled down the silk square tied around her throat and traced the scars left by her sister.

All of it was like another lifetime. Another person's memories. To some extent, they were. Cayenne Pepper had died full of anger and grief and convinced of her inability to ever truly have what she most desperately wanted. That it would only ever be a weak facsimile at best. But from the time she had returned to herself, sitting in a tree with Lewis, the thought of Arthur had hung differently in her heart. As if part of her knew things that would not translate properly to her mind. Judging from the story Arthur, Lewis, and Vivi had woven for her, her soul itself had chosen Arthur.

And then she was Cayenne Kingsmen. And the love was real. Of course she had to be careful. Of course her voice had deeply affected him. Of course she couldn't have the absolute purely free-will choosing she had hoped for. But the way he had put it reframed her whole perspective. He'd convinced her that her voice didn't cloud him, that it showed him more deeply who he was, and who he was loved and desired her to the core of his own being. So much so that he willingly chose to accept her control over him.

She was not a bad person, he often told her. She was a kind person. She was a trustworthy person. If he had to put control of himself in anyone's hands, hers were the best hands he could think of.

He was terrified out of his mind and had bolted as far and fast as he could, and _still_ his first impulse had been to come and get her so she wasn't caught by whatever he was running from.

All this, and yet she was revolted by the semi-human creature on the porch devouring raw flesh. Frightened by the beast that had whisked her gods-knew-where. There the shame burned hot.

The tenderness in his touch as he tended her scrapes. The concern on his face, eyes flashing both green and brown. What kept him from devouring her? Not her voice alone. He loved her. She accepted this, believed it. He loved her from both parts of himself, the original and the damned halves of his mind.

Enough. She stood from the bed, feeding another log into the stove and leaving the door ajar to cast more light. She made her way around the cabin, opening cupboards and examining the contents. A dented tea kettle. Rusty tin cups. Beans. Plenty of mouse droppings. Beans. Sardines. Pork and beans. Ah, blankets. She carefully tugged the three she found from the cabinet, balancing them on top of her head with one hand. The folded ends draped over her face, but she had a good sense of where the bed was. She turned, walking in that direction, and when she encountered the end of the bed with her shins she dumped the blankets onto it. Now with spares, she set to ripping up the rest of the first blanket that Arthur had started on. She braced the blanket with her foot and used the talons on her good hand to help rip sections of cloth free.

The sounds outside died down. The door didn't move. Standing, she retrieved the dented kettle and swung the door open. Arthur crouched in the dim light, rocking on his heels, a dark, wet stain on the porch near him. She nudged him gently with her knee and he froze. "Hey," she said softly. "I don't know how this works for you, if you're able to now, but if you can, would you fill this with water from the well?" She lowered the kettle into his line of vision.

Hesitant, he took it from her, still not raising his face, and stood to his feet. He tottered down the steps as she retreated inside. There, she took a large section of cloth and dipped it in the bucket, then sat on the bed.

He returned a few minutes later. Red was smeared all around his mouth and down his hand of his prosthetic was so red it looked like rust in the firelight. He set the kettle down by her feet, then shuffled back, still not looking at her.

"Please sit with me, Arthur."

His eyes lifted for a fraction of a second, returning to the ground. He didn't move. His face twitched, lips curled as if he might vomit. She could smell the stench of blood from across the room.

She stood, crossed the room to him, and took his arm. Leading him back to the bed, she pushed him to sit. There she lifted the cloth to his face and began to clean his mouth. His sideburns. The soul patch at the end of his chin. His neck. His chest. Down both arms to the hands, taking extra care to get every crevice of his prosthetic.

"Do you remember you did this for me, once?" She kept her voice soft. Quiet. "I was afraid and everything hurt and I didn't know why my world was coming apart. I'd hurt myself in confusion. You pulled my arms aside. You brought over warm water and a rag. You washed my feathers and kissed me."

A small, dry sob heaved out of Arthur.

She took a dry piece of cloth and wiped the water and the last of the blood away. Then she picked up the kettle and removed the lid. It was full of fresh, clean water. "Please drink."

He took the kettle between trembling hands and lifted the spout to his lips, gulping water. Kay returned to the cabinets, searching. Beans. A rusted tin labelled "Coffee". Matches. Clothes. She seized the clothes, shaking them out one at a time until she found a large flannel shirt and heavy wool pants. Way too big for Arthur, but it was all they had. She brought these over and set them in his lap. He had finished the water and was watching her, his face in a sort of rictus and his eyes glimmering.

Sitting beside him again, she pulled his face toward hers and pressed her lips against his cheek. She leaned her forehead against his and whispered, "We are going to make it through. Do you hear me? Between the two of us, nobody can stop us. Nobody can catch us. You are safe right now and I love you, Arthur Kingsmen. That hasn't changed and that isn't going to change."

And now the glimmering overflowed his eyes and tracked down his cheeks, and he crumpled against her, burying his face in her shoulder. She wrapped her good arm around him as tightly as she could, a hot determination taking the place of her earlier shame. Nobody was going to take him from her, or hurt him. If they had to make a home in the wastes for that to happen, that's what they would do.

…..

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Done With Love by Zedd. Well Hellbent was amazing and my headcanon of Shiro Mori creating the kitsunes got smashed to bits but OH WELL. JUST GOTTA KEEP GOING WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN, TOO MANY BRICKS LAID TO CHANGE IT NOW. Now for the copypasta'd information since there isn't a ton of overlap between people who read my Zim fics and people who read my MSA fics: So, it has finally happened. Child is now Sadie Sadie, married lady (cookies if you know the reference!) It's weird. Fanfiction was supposed to be that thing I grew out of someday, right? "Graduate to writing your own dang fiction already, Child." But I am having myself a grand old ball, a blast, a real mad witch's cackle over here. I'm enjoying this far too much to stop, even as I pass married status and approach age thirty. Here's to never growing old at heart. Also, here's to a bit more consistent updating now that I'm back from my wedding madness. Thanks for all your patience! I hope so much that you have had a warm and loving holiday season. If you don't celebrate, or if it's been hard, a hug from me to you. Here's to a better year for us all. May joy overflow in your life and spill onto everyone you touch.


	13. Mind Control Your Needs

Timothy supposed he should be used to strange things happening around him without much explanation. From the moment his blindfold was removed and he stared into the face of an unearthly creature-a goddess, they'd later told him-his life had been utterly upended. Whole years, experiences, and people had gone missing from his mind. His wife and two of their daughters. _Poof_. Oh, and they were sirens, of course. And the son he still remembered adopting had died and returned as a ghost. And somebody was a magical fox who'd run off, and now there was a unicorn in his living room.

A badly out of breath unicorn that had collapsed on the living room carpet with heaving sides and foam flying off her muzzle.

Vivi had barely looked at him, her hair pink at the tips and her eyes glowing as she muttered, "Sorry, Dad, I can't explain right now." Lewis' voice coming out of her mouth was disconcerting to say the least. A moment later, Vivi had bolted upstairs, cradling a battered-looking Mystery, before Timothy could ask any questions.

He sighed. As usual, he was the first shoved aside when strange things were happening. Did they all just assume that since he was the token human, there was nothing he could do to help?

Well. Think what they would, he had a guest to take care of. Rolling up his sleeves, he pulled all dishes out of the sink, scrubbed the inside down, and plugged the bottom. Flipping on the faucet, he returned to the living room, gingerly approaching… Chloe. That was her name. Chloe. Of late he had recovered most of his verbal skills, fumbled recall only on occasion, and counted it a victory that most of his thoughts stayed in his head where they belonged.

"Chloe, come on," he said softly. "Cold water in the kitchen. Can you make it a few steps over?"

Tossing her head in what he could only assume was some kind of a nod, she strained to heave herself up, staggering after him with steps that shook the cabinets and sent a few pictures crashing to the ground. She thrust her muzzle into the rapidly filling sink as Timothy peeled off to grab a few towels from the linen closet.

"Let me in a moment." He nudged Chloe's muzzle aside and dunked the towels into the sink. "Don't suppose you can tell me what's going on?" he asked, wiping down her left side.

There was no answer at first as she was too busy drinking, so Timothy continued scrubbing her down. When he moved around to wipe down her right side, however, she lifted her head out of the sink, spraying water across the counters. "G-gomen. I am very confused, too. I think Vivi-chan and Lewis-sempai know what we're doing and why, but we ran here as fast as possible. Arthur-san went to get Kay-chan, we think. We think Mystery wants to take hostages against Arthur-san, so Arthur-san went to get Kay-chan and we stole Dulcie-kun and Lance-san so they couldn't be used against him. They are safe."

Timothy blinked. "But. Dulcie was at voice lessons."

Chloe's lips pulled back in an alarmingly human grimace that looked out of place on an equine muzzle. "Gomen… her teacher was… a little distressed about our entry. And exit. Ehehehe."

Swallowing hard, Timothy licked his lips and asked, "Chloe, how obvious was your abduction of Dulcie and Lance?"

Chloe's ears drooped and she ducked her massive head, mumbling, "We didn't have time."

Timothy glanced at the front door, picturing a gleaming white draft horse tearing down the street and jamming itself through their door from the outside. It was impossible to miss, yet he hadn't had a single phone call about it. Likelihood of other sources being called, like Animal Control? The local police? High. From there, it was a short information leap to the agencies monitoring them, who would descend en masse and cart them off.

Nobody wanted to involve Dib, especially since he was off doing fieldwork and "didn't want to be bothered." If they were about to be under lock and key again, though, Timothy would take the guy who'd already stretched his neck out for them and had the clout to demand custody.

He pulled out his phone, shooting off a text to Teles. **Dulcie is safe. Removed from situation due to hostage potential. Come home, about to have company. Calling Dib.**

He glanced up. "Chloe, I'm going to call Dib, but I need you at the back door. If there's no other way out of here, you all need to be ready to make a run for it."

"Ch-chottomate!" Chloe protested. "We just got here! I can't make another run like that! I'm no Saitama!"

"Find it in yourself or find another way," Timothy returned. "Unless you think you can help the situation by being locked up, too. Yes, Dib?" he held the phone up to his ear. "I'm very sorry, but it's an emergency."

….

Something was wrong with Vivi's insides, and it wasn't the normal sort of wrongness. Lewis remembered what it was like to fend off the worst of a downswing from within. Like a tidal wave of tar and broken glass surging up and dragging all her brightness down, darkness consumed her thoughts with self-damnation and endless circles as it sapped even the memory of joy.

Sapped. That was an accurate word to describe what was going on inside her now, but it was subtly different and Lewis was having trouble putting his finger on it. At the beginning of her ministrations to Mystery, there was a fierce determination and a warmth of love that kept the oncoming darkness at bay. Only delayed, they both knew, but Vivi would not set Mystery aside in his need. Lewis went along with it, but as Vivi washed the dog, dried him, and carried him up to Kay's old room, it was as if everything slowed by degrees. Like a music box winding down to the last few distorted notes of its song. It wasn't just that the determination and warmth had vanished, but even the darkness both had expected to engulf her was no longer there.

Mechanically, Vivi tucked the unresponsive Mystery into Kay's old bed, nesting blankets around him. She rested her hand on Mystery's head, scratching, but wasn't looking at him anymore. Her gaze rested on the wall, her fingers kneading Mystery's scalp as comfortable numbness licked through what, a moment ago, had nearly been a full-on meltdown.

Only when his own anxieties began to fade did Lewis jerk their hand away from Mystery's head, seize the Hoshi no Tama in Vivi's pocket, and roar, "How _dare_ you!"

Ah. Now Mystery was looking at them. Or rather, looking at their hand, which clutched his soul gem.

"You were supposed to be different from the Shiker." Understanding finally broke through from Lewis to Vivi. Mystery hadn't been taking the edge off her emotional state, he had been draining her to the dregs. The memories of the battered, wounded pup she'd taken in all those years ago began to bleed hurt, staining the edges of the numbness and rolling it back. Their grip on the gem tightened. "I'd understand you attacking me before I'll ever understand you attacking her."

Mystery gave no answer. His eyes didn't leave Vivi's closed fist even once.

The door to Kay's room swung open with a crack as Teles entered. Lewis' anger faltered at the stony expression on his mom's face as her gaze swept from Vivi to Mystery and back to Vivi.

"I don't want to hear any of it." Words whistled between clenched teeth as she loomed at the end of the bed. "The only thing I want to know is if Dulcie really is safe."

Vivi's knees knocked. Lewis hadn't counted on the extra intimidation factor of Teles having a full head of height over him. "Completely safe, Mom, I swear!"

"Then get out." Teles thrust her pointer finger toward the gaping doorway. "You and Chloe and the cursed dog. Out. Dib just confirmed to Timothy that we're due for a raid any minute."

"What?! What, why-"

"Arthur just came tearing through town as a giant fox and abducted my oldest daughter in broad daylight! Not to mention, Dulcie's voice teacher half lost his mind over your grand entrance. Just how smart was it, do you think, to come here with an obviously identifiable giant white horse? The only government confirmed dwelling of paranormal creatures right now is this house, so we're being raided. If we didn't need you gone, I'd be giving you a lot more what-for."

No time. Lewis held the gem between Vivi's thumb and forefinger, zeroing in on Mystery. "Don't move. Steal anything else from us, and I'll crush this myself."

Mystery flicked one ear and closed his eyes. Lewis tossed the gem over his shoulder to a waiting Deadbeat and scooped Mystery into Vivi's arms. "Mom, how much time do we have?"

"Don't ask," Teles answered, grim. "Just load up on your white horse and hightail it."

"What about you? And Dad?"

"Don't worry about me. Your father made a good and I will surrender quietly and wait for Dib to pull strings. Now get out of here."

…...

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Mr. Fear by Siames. Lots of struggling to get started on this chapter for both muse-drying-up and real-life-trouble reasons. Many thanks to R5h and Pipefoxesonthemoon (formerly Invader Sideos) who helped me in different ways pull back together and push through the question, "So what's happening with the other half of the gang?"


	14. Awoken I Stand

"We should get some sleep," Kay murmured. Her fingers slid through Arthur's hair with smooth and easy strokes as his breathing finally evened out. "You can tell me everything tomorrow. I'm exhausted and I can't imagine you're any better off."

He gave a short laugh. No, he certainly wasn't.

It was cool in the sagging shack. Innumerable cracks and holes in the structure let in the evening air, but it wasn't uncomfortable by any means. Wherever they were, it still felt like summer. Arthur knew sleep would come for him the moment he set his head down. Still, best to get dressed. The clothes Kay had found him were thick and heavy. He stood, shaking out a pair of wool pants and stepping into them. Lucky for him there was a drawstring. No way he'd be keeping these up himself.

 _Now that your immediate needs are met and the burden of shame has lifted, you find yourself stuck on a detail. There was provision on the porch just now. A string of fresh kills prepared for you at your location. Someone knows you are here. Alarm begins to rise as you connect to the next dot; someone knows what_ _you are and what you need._

 _No, there will be no sleep until this is sorted. Tying off the drawstring, you clear your throat. Try to be casual. "Hey, Kay…" you immediately drop the false note. It feels all bent around to feign that you aren't bothered. To Kay, of all people. You turn to her, your face pinched and your voice strained. "Cayenne, do you have any idea who left those… all that on the porch? Someone knows an awful lot more than I'm comfortable with them knowing if they can leave a gift that specific where I just happen to be hiding out. Especially since I still don't know where we are."_

 _Her eyes widen and she sucks in a breath. "I forgot! Arthur, there's a weird fox out here, and I'm pretty sure… I mean… I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it was singing to me."_

 _Black rings the edges of your vision and all of a sudden there is no air in the room. Your heart is trying to escape your body and while you're at it, escape sounds like a very good idea. No, Artie, there's nothing for it. We are already found, we must run again. We must… we…_

 _"Arthur? You look like you've seen a ghost. What do you know about this?"_

 _You don't smell any fox, though. You stumble back to the porch, dropping to hands and knees and smelling the bloodstain and the treacherous steps leading to it. Rotten wood. Lichen. Earth. Blood. No scent of fox._

 _A fox that sings and does not leave a scent._

 _"Arthur? Talk to me, please."_

 _You pivot, still crouched. "What kind of singing? Was it like yours?"_

 _She smells of fear again. Do you already look so terrible? "Yes. It was siren song, and I don't know where but I knew I'd heard it before."_

 _Your cheeks pull back to your ears as teeth crowd your jaw. Kay has retreated several steps. The inky tunnel closes tighter around your vision._

 _Mother knew. Mother knew where you would be so far in advance that she sent her representative out into the desert before you'd even regained your senses. You picked up the damned fox in the middle of nowhere, thinking it had to be harmless. Something you could fix. Some small thing you could heal instead of destroy. A harmless little one-tail fox that vanished after Kay returned to her senses._

 _Try to remember. Try to remember. That whole time is blurry. Did we smell the fox when we had it last?_

 _We were stumbling around on the surface when we tripped over it. It smelled of dirt and a good deal of travel. It did not smell like a fox. All we cared was it did not smell like our pack, we did not care to think about what it meant for it to not smell like itself._

 _Gods. Gods! You shriek, "And children who don't smell like anything, too! Who just happen to show up and integrate themselves into our lives. Oh gods, Mother found me before I understood! This whole time! This whole..." You sprawl facefirst in the dirt, riven by the connection. It is over. She has merely been tightening the noose, or perhaps toying with you. If she threaded the fox-the children?-into your life months ago, a messenger who found you tonight at a place you didn't even know you were running to, no place you could run to would ever be safe. You should have known better. Maybe you can win against foreign gods, but you can't win against the one that made you._

 _Artie's thoughts are hard to hear. He begs you to stay calm. To explain. You can do neither. You can't even breathe. It's all closing in. You did not have to bear shame like this before there was Arthur, you did not have to feel the weight of your deeds or think of who you would have to face. It would be better to end yourself before she finds you._

 _You are hauled from the ground headfirst. The world spins a moment before Kay's face takes the center. She has a fistful of your hair and your head is pulled so far back that you see her upside down. Releasing your hair, she orders, "Arcturus. Sit."_

 _Blinking, you turn around and sit back on your rear. You can't see her face, her back is to the moon. Her voice is stone again. "Arcturus, you're hurting my husband."_

 _You flinch at the accusation._

 _She sits across from you and doesn't speak. You draw your knees in tight, hunching your shoulders. She has already started to command you. She's gathering her words to bind you to inaction, isn't she? For your own good you will be hogtied so you cannot do anything to defend yourself when Mother comes to unmake you._

 _"I think the first time was when Lewis died, right? It all went to hell and nobody knew what to do."_

 _You falter, baffled. Why would she bring that up? What bearing does that even have on anything right now? But her words are softer now, and who knows how much longer you will have her comfort. You dare not interrupt._

 _"And then when he showed up again." She laughs and it is a sadly cracked sound. "I don't think I knew my primaries from my toenails at that point. You were losing it pretty hard too. You might not remember, but Artie will."_

 _Bewilderment. Terror. Mortification. Betrayal. Each feeling flash hot through you as Artie recalls the moments when he realized his best friend thought he was a murderer._

 _Kay scoots close and you see her silhouette changing. She spreads her arms, quickly thickening with feathers, and enfolds you in them. Oh. Oh, the warmth. You did not realize how much you were trembling. Salt spray wafts faintly off her wings._

 _"Still," she whispers in his ear. "Even though we were both losing it, each time Artie pulled himself together to try and figure something out. And then? Then I died."_

 _You give a sharp cry, Artie's old grief is a deep thrust in the gut. Blood, everywhere. Kay's body in your arms, seeping life all over the same rocks he'd lost Lewis to._

 _"And I don't remember what happened, but stories say you found a way there, too." She kissed his cheek. "Death, Arthur. You found a way around death."_

 _You think you are starting to grasp the direction she's going and shake your head. "But… but this is Mother. You don't-"_

 _"And you are Arthur. You are Arthur and I am Kay and we aren't helpless pawns. But right now you're acting like it's just Arcturus out on his own in the world. Have you forgotten again? You're not the Shiker."_

 _You are undone. How many times must you be reminded?_

As many times as it takes, _comes Artie's quiet assurance. You can hear him clearer, now._ Centuries of behavior are not undone overnight, and you bear the length of those memories. But you're not alone.

 _Her voice is soft in your ear. "Arcturus, please tell us what you know. Show Artie and me what happened."_

 _Encircled by wings, you surrender. Your forehead touches hers and you draw her into memories of the past._

… _.._

 _Mother is beautiful. She is blue like a deep lake with hair whiter than freshly washed wool. A little tree grows out of her head, a little white tree with pink flowers. Mother always smells of cherry blossoms._

 _When she takes me into her hands, I am a lost kit. One moment I exist in a sea of indescribable smells and washes of color, the next I know that there is a 'me'. I know that 'me' is tiny and powerless, and held by something so powerful that it made me know myself._

 _I call her Mother and she gives me my name. I feel it take hold of me, permeating my existence so that every exhalation and inhalation is taken in fulfillment of this word that is my name._

 _I am not the first. Mother shows me my new pack. They each sniff, nose at me, then roll and tumble me about with playful yips and nips. I am full of something warm that strains the edges of my body. I kreel with delight and carouse with the others, getting to know the name and smell of each. At night we nestle together, a warm knot with me at the center._

 _I spend many days with the pack and Mother together before Mother takes me aside to teach me. She has given us all gifts that I, too, must be taught to use. The first shape she teaches me to change into is that of a sparrow. Small, she says. Easy to miss. And wings are an invaluable source of freedom. Under Mother's instruction, I master many forms quickly._

 _From the pack, I learn to sustain illusions. The pack also teaches me tricks they have picked up in their travels. What travels, I ask, what travels do you go on? I am assured that they will tell me in time. I begin to notice that there are always one or two of the pack missing every time I am with them, different every time. They return with tall tales and boast of their escapades and close shaves. The oldest ones with many more tails do not boast so much when they return. They merely sigh and lay their creaky bodies in the long grass to rest. I wonder if I will get more tails someday. Those who return always brush up against me and fill me full of warmth. Where do they get the warmth, I ask? Why is mine always going away a little at a time? Why does it need to be refilled? They say they will tell me soon, but not today._

 _I spend weeks, months, years with the pack and with Mother. I watch her tend the growing things, sustaining a failing rice paddy with a touch, healing a sickened peach tree. When the cherry trees bloom, though, she ceases work and stares, enraptured through the entire season until the last blossom falls. These are her favorites, even though they don't last long._

 _After many such seasons, I grow my second tail. There is great celebration among the pack. They gather around me and explains why they go on travels. Mother is a venerated goddess, and as such she receives worship at many different locations in the country. Humans come to small wood or stone shrines with offerings for Mother, asking her to bless their crops. They leave behind more than mere offerings of grain and fried tofu, though. They leave their hope. Their love. Their reverence. All this energy stays in the shrines. Mother asks us to go to the shrines and gather the worship that people leave there for her, so that she has the strength and energy to sustain our pack and growing things._

 _That is the warmth, I am told. We collect all for Mother, but she feeds us well out of the humans' awe. She gives us some of herself as well, her curiosity and her wonder, so that we may share in her joy. I leap at my newfound knowledge. I love Mother even more, now. Mother is the most wonderful being that ever was. I will gladly go and retrieve the worship._

 _The first few trips I go with a packmate. I see that it is not so easy as I thought, and while some tales were certainly exaggeration, there are some truly close shaves with malicious yokai and even some kami who wish to steal what we have. It can be stolen, I learn, and indeed sometimes we come back empty and wounded. But Mother always has enough because there are many shrines and she never berates us, merely takes us into her arms to rest._

 _Mother reserves a special protection for the eldest among us who travel into darker, more dangerous territory. She plucks flowers from the tree on her head and from these stews a drink that allows them to pass without any scent. The blooms are limited, for only a few grow every season, so the potion is rationed out with utmost care. I determine to one day earn the right to pass without scent into the most dangerous territories._

 _When I sprout my third tail, I am allowed to go out on my own. By now there are even more of us, a new wave of one and two tails eager to go out into the world. The many-tailed among us shake their heads with warm smiles on their muzzles. They speak lovingly of Mother and bless the humans for their generosity that allows Mother to grow this family._

 _I begin to go out on my own. I am often successful, but whether I am successful or not, Mother and the pack always welcome me home._

 _But times change. By my fourth tail there is less warmth to bring back to Mother and the pack. Many shrines have been destroyed. Often I arrive to a stone structure that is cold and has not been visited for a long time. The yokai are bolder in their attacks. Many of the pack begin to go out in pairs for safety, but I do not need to. I fight them all off. No yokai will steal from me. I will become a fearful-looking thing, so vicious that none would dare. I rely less on tricks and more on horrific, nightmarish facades that mimic the monsters who watch me. In this way, I pass unscathed._

 _Still, we all feel the strain. There is less warmth among us, no play, and a hollowness within that none but the oldest are familiar with. They try to explain to us that there will be a season of plenty again, some day in the future, but I do not understand. Mother has always been good to the humans, why have they forgotten her? Mother's color is dimmed. She takes to staring at the cherry trees, even when there are no flowers. She has nothing to give either us or the land._

 _Less of us leave to gather worship because less of us have enough reserves to move very much. Some of our youngest and oldest disappear. We find bloodstains where they were lying, but no sign of struggle. They did not even fight their attackers. I do not have the reserves to despair or to fear for my own life._

 _I leave our old trails, searching for any place we may have overlooked in the past. I begin to observe humans, hoping to catch them returning to the shrines or building new ones. In observing them, I discover what should have been obvious from the start; worship takes many forms. Humans may worship each other in the act of lovemaking. They lavish attention on their children as they raise them. They revere their parents as they take care of them in their old age. Great care and effort are spent on the land they work._

 _And I begin to take what has not been given to me. Only a little bit, at first. I claim I have found reviving pockets of worship, those who have not forgotten Mother. There is a little more affection to spare among us. Everyone is glad of the provision. No more of us disappear. Mother turns her face back to us and smiles for the first time in half a century._

 _More is needed to nurse the pack back to our former strength. I visit shrines that do not have Mother's name on them, taking what little is left there. I dare to go even further, leaving our land behind and traveling to far reaches of the world to steal from grand temples that have more than enough to spare. I am sure that others have done the same to Mother's shrines, and I say to myself that it is only fair._

 _I also take much more from the humans. I do not stay to see the effects. I tell myself that they can always make more love, more worship, more emotion. We can't. Without their strength we would not even lift our heads to save ourselves from hungry yokai._

 _What I take is mixed with other feelings, though. Strange and painful, they fill the hollowness but cause a different churning inside me. I sense that I cannot ask the name of these things, lest Mother find out. I hold these back and deliver only the lightest, loveliest emotions to my pack._

 _One day I return, overflowing with stolen love and affection, to find that Mother has a new face turned toward me. It is cold. Frightful. She accuses me of thieving from humans and other gods' temples. Someone has followed me and told Mother._

 _One of the strange feelings rises in me, turning my insides cold. My stomach curls up and hides. I wish to bury myself deep in the earth to escape this question. I cannot open my mouth to answer._

 _My refusal to answer is taken as an answer. Mother denounces me, saying I have done a terrible thing. That the humans are even less likely to give worship when their vitality has been sapped, that other gods will swoop down and wipe out the pack for stealing out of their shrines, and that the worship I have stolen is tainted by the darkness humans produce. I know it to be true, for I hold that darkness inside me._

 _With bared teeth, the pack drives me out, chasing me far away. Nogitsune, I am called. Renegade. Disowned one. I am full of all emotions and strength of humans, both the good and the bad, and yet once I am alone, I lay down in a field and hope for a yokai to come and carry me off._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _A voice speaks to me. It has power. Great power, like Mother. I lift my head and see what is most certainly a goddess, one made of churning earth who looks on me with stone eyes. I recognize her scent. I have stolen from her temple. She is surely here for recompense._

 _I speak my name, for that is who I am, and wait for her to tear me apart. Instead, she crouches over me, and lifts my head, stroking my fur tenderly._

 _And then she takes from me my name. In the space of a second, I am no longer my own. I am owned by Demeter, Greek goddess of the harvest and fertility of the earth._

… _..._

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Meet Thy Maker by DAgames.I am sadly aware that my headcanons of Shiromori are way out of date, but I've been building to this long before Hellbent came out and I must continue in this direction for the plot to make sense. Ah well!


	15. Comparing Your Past To My Future

It wasn't just Kay in attendance. Another presence had joined the observation. It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment the song started, for now it flowed smooth and swift as a river around them. It was certainly siren song, but unlike any melody Arthur had ever heard from Kay. When she sang, it was as if she offered back lost knowledge of who he already was. This new song wove in notes of who Arthur could yet become.

The melody buoyed Artie to a higher level of consciousness where he could easily see multiple connection points forming between current facts and past memories. Arcturus was not permitted to struggle or despair of this new bond that closed around them, for the song kept his thoughts focused on retrieving relevant information from the past. Yet, for all the focus it demanded, it did not allow the consciousness of Arcturus to dissolve into the morass of the creature he'd emerged from. Artie, Arcturus, Arthur. He was known, he was respected and honored, and he was incapable of becoming anything like the Shiker, so the song proclaimed.

Artie zipped along at the peak of his processing powers. Between the information he received from Arcturus and the direction and clarity this new siren song afforded him, he raced about between conclusions, made ecstatic by the puzzle pieces he was finally able to join. That Demeter was goddess of harvests he already knew, but he'd never considered further implications. That Demeter could, herself, harvest-not just plants, but names. Whole identities. Perhaps even abilities. Persephone had called her mother a thief and a warden. Had Demeter stolen Persephone's abilities? Persephone, goddess of vegetation and curses over men's lives. Was that how Demeter came by knowledge of how to craft curses? How she commanded the lush, controlled growth of her realm? She had stolen the vast majority of her own daughter's abilities and wielded them-for how long? No, that was an irrelevant question.

Demeter had "given" the sirens wings to search for her daughter, an ability that manifested itself as a minor, controlled form of shapeshifting. Demeter should not have had that ability, but she had taken command of a shapeshifter. Could she harvest this ability from a kitsune, or did she need Mother for that?

 _Demeter needs Mother, but she has no thought of wings yet. No, it is her own daughter, Persephone, that she has in her sights. Demeter has been watching me. Has deduced whom I serve and how far Mother's abilities extend. She takes from me my name and brings me across seas and plains to one of her temples. I recognize it, for I have thieved from here. Here she sits on her altar and bids me lie at her feet._

 _I am here seconds. Ages. Moments. A lifetime. What warmth there is in me slowly ebbs away. Demeter does not take it from me, merely watches as I ration for myself all that is left. Shame wells up in me, stronger every day, as I consume reserves I had gathered for my pack. For Mother. Long enough, though, and even shame is consumed._

 _The emptiness creeps in. I lie at the feet of another mother, one that stares at me with stone eyes that do not blink. She offers me nothing as I waste away, my insides hollow and cold. There is not strength for movement. There is not strength for thought. There is not strength for the smallest act of will._

Artie seized on this. Drained. Arcturus had said that Mystery was "utterly drained" when he showed up a few days ago. Mystery could still move quite a bit, but there had been no wasted motion and no intonation in any words he'd spoken. If he had little to no will of his own, a direct order was probably all that was keeping him moving. If they could give Mystery enough warmth-Love? Loyalty?-maybe he could break free of his new orders.

A note of sadness struck in the midst of the song, and Artie's heart turned with it. Refusal had never an option for the Shiker. Artie grieved for the lost kitsune, damned from the moment he'd handed over his name.

 _When there is not even the smallest spark left in me, Demeter moves. She takes my head in her hands, stroking my fur. I sense energy being offered me. I sense a form of worship, hot and nourishing. I absorb it without thinking, like a starveling cramming dirt into their mouths. It burns all the way down, but fills me with a new kind of strength._

 _Hatred is strong. Fear gives me the desire to run again. Bitterness braces me. But it is rage that is sweetest. Rage drives back any fear about what is being done. With rage, I see how Mother has abandoned me. Has betrayed me, even as I sought to save her and the pack. I see how, even as I am undone and remade anew, she never comes to look for me. How she never raises a hand to protect our pack. Intoxicating power overflows me with greater ease than love or affection ever did, igniting poison green flames about my body. I bare my teeth and press my nose to Demeter's feet._

 _"You alone have ever been my Mother," I vow. "Command me, that I may serve you."_

 _"I am only Mother to one," she responds coldly. "Over you, I am Mistress, my Pet, and you will serve me as such. I desire what the one you once called Mother possesses. Bring her."_

 _I hesitate. "Surely I am not strong enough for this," I say._

 _Disdain colors her voice. "Are you not, then, clever enough to compensate?"_

 _I am. Oh, I am. And certainly angry enough to think of proper recompense for Mother's abandonment. I leave and retrace my steps. From upwind, I observe the pack. They appear to have regained some strength since my departure, but are still weak. There are fewer as well, and I see only one new kit._

 _From that day on, no member of the pack can journey more than a day's distance. If they leave one at a time, I harry them every step until they are forced to return. If they leave two at a time, I bait yokai into attacking them. Within months, the pack has starved back to immobility. Most have returned to a fully desolate state, unable to leave their meadow or raise their heads._

 _With a fearsome form, I gather to my side many yokai and bring them into the meadow I once called home. There are enough monsters to wipe out the whole pack at once. The kit flees, but the rest of the pack does not lift paw or muzzle to defend themselves._

 _Weak. Pathetic._

 _And then Mother is in their midst, sprouting out of the ground like a deadly flower, the kit cradled in her hands. Brambles with thorns the size of a foreleg lash out from the ground, embracing many yokai in a terrible grip. Vines draw my packmates to Mother's feet, heaping them around her. She kneels and spreads her arms over them as hedges weave a tight dome from the ground up over her head, barricading them from attack._

 _Having tasted blood, the yokai are furious and try to dig the pack out. Again, they are turned back by thorns. Something is happening within that dome. Mother is doing something. I can sense it, but I cannot make sense of it._

 _The dome bursts apart, sending thorns flying like arrows. Kitsunes leap from the wreckage, fleeing in all directions, wild-eyed and bleeding a terror scent-trail. The yokai divide themselves, slobbering after different pack members and ignoring the remains of the dome._

 _Mother sits at the center, dull-eyed and listless. The tree on her head is black and withered. The scent of decayed cherries wafts off her. She has given the pack energy to leave and fear to speed them. She has nothing left._

 _And my anger billows. Where was this provision when I was with the pack? Where was this attempt to save us from the monsters of the mountains and forests? Mother is powerless now. I see it in her eyes that she is as empty as I was. I seize her by the neck and drag her all the way back to my Mistress' temple, dumping her atop the altar and howling for my Mistress._

 _And Demeter appears. She takes Mother's hands, quite tender in her touch, and leans her head forward to whisper a few words in Mother's ear._

" _Who are you?" Demeter asks. Empty, Mother's name tumbles from her lips and into Demeter's grasp. When Demeter removes her hands, something vital has left Mother. I do not know what it is and I do not understand what has happened, but I sense that Mother is somehow less._

 _I am commanded to stay as Demeter disappears with Mother. When Demeter returns, she tells me I needn't worry about Mother's cruelty any longer. Mother has been disposed of. I receive this news with a dark and wild joy. I am free of a false and capricious creator._

 _Demeter brings me to her own realm. The first thing she does is bind her daughter's wild and tangled body into perfection of form. Out of the void she molds leaf-green eyes and a pale complexion, high cheekbones and a strong, Grecian chin. Marble-smooth skin overlays the riot of vegetation and holds it in place. Demeter never swerves as her daughter cries out in agony. She is firm and unyielding and I adore her. Persephone should be grateful to have such a goddess to call Mother._

Artie's stomach turned. Surely Demeter had harvested the ability to change the nature of a creature's form from this "Mother."

And yet the moment Demeter came under his own curse, Persephone emerged in what Artie now realized was her original form. Demeter's downfall immediately freed Persephone and returned her abilities. Even Arcturus had felt his bonds to Demeter fall away. If Demeter had hidden Mother away somewhere and called that "disposed of," then what Demeter took from Mother would have returned upon her demise.

 _I enter Demeter's service, though she has little need of me. She does not offer me much more of her strength, so I siphon it off the despondent creatures she tasks me with delivering to the Cage. Persephone, though, she escorts to and from the Cage herself. The ungrateful creature never changes, always displeasing Demeter in some fashion. I loathe her. What I would not give to call Demeter Mother._

 _Companions are brought in for Persephone, three daughters of a river god with lovely voices. They are tasked with keeping Persephone biddable and content with their song. They dare not disobey._

 _Still Persephone breaks free from time to time and flees to create untamed growth of her own will. She has only fragments of the power I now know Demeter has taken from her, but its use is enough to drive Demeter to fury. There is no order in the wild blooms Persephone scatters, no precision, no care. She is justly punished for each incautious growth._

 _One day Persephone is missing entirely. Demeter grants her companions the ability to form wings and sends them, and me, out to find Persephone. When the sirens fail and Persephone is half-claimed by Hades, I am given my most important task yet. Demeter teaches me how to cultivate an enduring curse. A curse crafted of words alone, she claims, can be too easily subverted. She wants something that will adapt and endure throughout time. She teaches me the ingredients of a curse and plants the first seed within my own soul._

 _It is like swallowing shadows. Breathing ink. Tar flows through my body every moment the curse grows. I cannot even revere Demeter or admire her work. I am only a vessel, bearing torment to the brim._

 _I beg for relief. She says she cannot remove it from my soul until I bring her another Hoshi no Tama. And so I seek out a packmate. I cannot bear it, I cannot bear it. Another will suffer this, for I cannot._

 _I slay my first packmate with no regret. There is only relief as she transfers the curse to his soul gem and tucks it away. The first curse will punish the siren, Teles._

 _More, she tells me. She needs more curses. She outlines how she will create for me a place to farm curses in the human realm. She instructs me on how to draw children to myself and continue her work. She delivers a herd of unicorns to me. I take the name Meynung Shiker for myself and begin fulfilling Demeter's demands._

 _A parade of children pass through the caverns. I pit them against each other, subtly and overtly. I cause them to betray. I manipulate them into committing terrible acts against each other. I flay them myself. I reward at random, that their confusion and dread may mount. I promise freedom. Food. Another day of life. In the end, most lose sight of who they are very quickly. Some few do not lose who they are. These I condition to return with more offspring in the future and release them into the world._

 _Lewis passes before my eyes. Just another lump of flesh to be turned into an ingredient. But he will not forget himself. So he, too, is conditioned and released. But he returns to me before he has spawned offspring, and his companion smells of that most delicious emotion. Oh, it has been so long since I have tasted rage when it is all fear and weeping and horror. This vintage is bubbling over from the man behind Lewis. I need only reach out…_

 _The unseen singer wavers. The music falters, and I draw a curtain over the memories. I cannot bear it, I cannot bear it, Artie for the love of all the gods, I cannot-_

Arthur's mouth opened, releasing a mournful cry that overwhelmed the uncertain melody. Arcturus had not been wrong, this knowledge was crushing. Arthur tasted blood and ash in his mouth. The cries of children rang in his ears. The memory of terror-stricken horse screams pierced him.

No wonder Hades looked on him with disgust.

No wonder Arcturus wanted to close these thoughts off. No wonder he wanted so badly to be Arthur and forget that he was born out of the death of the Shiker.

The singer fell silent a moment, and Arthur opened his eyes. Kay still embraced him, her eyes shut tight, but next to them sat a dark-skinned child, resting one hand on Arthur's shoulder.

Before Artie could gather himself, the child began again, drawing out each note low and slow. Arthur felt like he was falling, falling into the dark…

…...

Like Artie, Kay had heard the new singer. She knew from the first that it was her fox and its voice brought unexpected warmth. Hearing it was like finding an old friend she'd never met but was glad to come across.

And now, as Arthur slumped unconscious against her, she opened her eyes. Next to her crouched, not a fox, but a familiar child. The song drew to a close and the child turned a somber face to her, placing hands together where the moonlight could illuminate communication.

 **Hello Miss Kay. I put him to sleep for a little while because he's very tired and I need him not to bite me. Can we talk inside? It's dark out here.**

…..

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Immortals by Fall Out Boy. Fun side trail, my April Fool's Day chapter went to Hey Spacejerk this year, so if you want to read a meta romp, just check chapter 30 of Hey Spacejerk for a literal round table conference between Arthur, Zim, Dib, and the Grinch commiserating over how I treat them in my writing. My thanks to the admin of TRAFON on facebook and R5h for looking over this chapter!


	16. Meet Me There

Chloe's nostrils flared, her lungs shuddering to keep up as her hooves hit the ground in a near-simultaneous beat, then lifted off the ground for a millisecond that felt like floating. _Th-th-th-thud_ forward. Up. _Th-th-th-thud_ forward. Up. Breaths tore through her throat, but she couldn't hear herself for the _whomp-whomp-whomp_ of helicopter overhead.

Police chases were nothing like the movies. Or anime, for that matter. Especially not this one. There were cars following her with sirens blaring and people on bullhorns kept asking her to please stop, asking her if she understood what they were saying, or demanding that her rider pull her over. As if Vivi-chan and Lewis-sempai could do more than hold onto that stupid dog and keep from falling off.

 _Th-th-th-thud_ forward. Up. _Th-th-th-thud_ forward. Up.

Chloe was no psychiatrist, but all the muttering Vivi was doing didn't sound good, and Lewis was giving off painful levels of heat. She snorted, pushing herself faster. Faster. How long could she go this time?

Not very long, probably. After the run out to the desert, the run back to the city, and intermittent practice of magic, she was on fumes. Energy out, energy out, energy out. She thought _Faster!_ But her legs responded slower this time. _Thu-thu-thud-thud_ forward. Her lungs burned. Vivi kept slipping around on her back. Was it because of Chloe's sweat or was Vivi _trying_ to fall?

Chloe knew she'd made a mistake trying to stay in this world. It was familiar, it was comfortable, and the only herd she'd ever known was here. Vivi and Lewis and Dulcie, maybe Kay and Arthur too at a stretch. But she only caused trouble by being here. Everyone had to hide her and train her to use her own powers and she only got in the way of their efforts, like now. Who could ignore something her size thundering down a paved road? She could just gnash her teeth, thinking about _The Last Unicorn_. What she wouldn't give for a stealthy, graceful build like that! Such a rip-off.

With a slighter build, she could probably run for days without getting tired, too. As it was, she had no energy to gnash her teeth over the idea. Hooves so heavy. Too much running today. She just wanted to get away somewhere safe. Vivi-chan would be in so much trouble, and without Dib there, Chloe didn't want to think about what might happen to herself when they got caught. Safe place, that's all she wanted. Away from all the officers who didn't know what to make of her but couldn't stop the chase. Away from the chopper overhead. Away from the-spaceship?

There was a spaceship hooked to a shipping container, parked cross-ways in the road like it had popped into existence there. The ship was the size of a small garden shed and had the word **Dib** painted in jagged letters on its side. The closest wall of the attached shipping container slid open, right in her path.

No time to swerve. Her hooves skidded on the flooring and she twisted sideways, slamming her side into the back wall. Vivi cried out and dropped from her back to the ground. A large clamp rose from the floor, snapping around the barrel of Chloe's body and another two clamps secured Vivi and Mystery flat to the floor. The wall panel slid shut behind them before Chloe could catch breath enough to whinny.

"This is my second favorite part." A female voice tinged with glee filled the enclosure. "Watch this."

Chloe sagged against the restraint, which gently telescoped into the floor under the pressure, allowing her to kneel. Here and there, little tetris-like pieces of the shipping container popped out and slid aside, giving Chloe a view of what was going on around them.

Outside, police cars swerved wide of the ship, plowing through cozy little rose-gardens and mowing down picket fences on either side of it. Several of the cars stopped, spilling out officers on radios who shouted at each other, at the radios, and at the sky in confusion.

At the far end of the container, a monitor flickered to life, displaying a young woman wearing a VR headset that covered the upper half of her face. Purple hair hung down in tooth-like bangs over her forehead."Never gets old," she chuckled. "Not that I do this often, but when I do? This part is great. They can't figure out where we went."

"They… they don't see us? But we're right here!" Chloe planted her front hooves on the ground, trying to stand. Her legs refused to support these efforts. "They swerved to miss!"

"SEP field. You didn't see it until you were a few steps away, right?" The woman lifted gloved hands and Chloe's stomach dropped as the container rose into the air. "People hate dealing with things that aren't normal for them, so the SEP field just taps into that natural inclination and makes this whole spaceship Somebody Else's Problem. Hits humans stronger than non-humans, so you bypassed it from further away. It's not invisibility, but it's damn close. They are looking for you, though, so we're splitting before they get wise. Now _this_ is my favorite part. Stay in the harness or it's gonna be a bumpy ride."

* * *

 _Does it even matter?_

It was a bad swing already and it hadn't even hit its full depth. Vivi barely felt Chloe galloping beneath her, and she was pretty sure Lewis was the only reason she hadn't fallen off or let go of Mystery. Sirens wailed at the edge of her hearing.

 _Can't even pick a safe direction._

Through an ever-increasing mental fog, she tried to find something to hold onto. Important things like, where were they going? Who picked their escape route? Were they hidden and disguised somehow, or out in the open for everyone to see?

 _Even when I stopped to think, I failed everybody. Each of them in different ways. Again._

A low groan issued from her lips, but it wasn't her groan.

 _I'm hurting Lewis, dragging him down with me, and there's nothing I can do about it. Chloe's running ragged, I don't even know where. Can't fix Mystery. Got the Peppers in trouble. Can't fix Mystery. Can't help Artie. Hurting Lewis. I'm sorry, Artie. I'm sorry, Lew. Mystery._

"NGH!" Her teeth ground together and her shoulderblades crunched up to her ears. Pink haze surrounded her. Someone was shouting. There were loud noises all around. Was she on fire? She might be.

A soft violin piece played at the back of her mind, a melody from Lewis that gently stroked the ragged edges of her despair.

 _Perfect metaphor._ With a flick of her thoughts, the violin screeched like someone had dragged the bow down all the strings and then snapped them. _That's what it's like._

"For gods' sakes, Vivi!" Lewis snapped. "I'm doing my best here!"

The words wrapped around her like chains, squeezing and dragging her deeper. _She_ wasn't doing her best. Worse, she was hampering Lewis' efforts. If she faded away, Lewis might have a weird time of it, but at least he'd have a body to inhabit. Free of her uselessness.

Something hard slammed into her leg and there was a crack. Vivi shrieked, sliding off Chloe's back. There was no pain, not yet, but she could feel something in her leg was all wrong.

Wherever she lay, it wasn't stable. The floor hummed and jerked up, up, and away. A clamp around her middle was the only thing keeping her from rolling around. Even so her legs shifted as they changed direction. The right one felt horribly wrong when it moved.

"FEATHERED HECKSICLES! CHLOE, WHAT THE-?" she shrieked, trying to grab her leg and hold it still. It wasn't flopping like she thought it might, but it throbbed. Adrenaline and shock pumped through her as she clawed at the clamp with her free hand.

"Stay in the harness or it's gonna be a bumpy ride."

Lewis registered the new voice for the first time. At about the same time he felt the mental fog break _hard_. He reeled from the sudden shift and clarity of thought.

Vivi grimaced at the ceiling, putting a few pieces together. "Shock. Right. Shorts out the tailspin." Her eye twitched. "Still isn't worth breaking a leg."

"Ship scans tell me it's not broken, just fractured." The new voice chimed in from behind Vivi's head. She tilted her head back until she could just see a monitor upside down at the back of… wherever they were. "I'm Gaz, Dib's sister and your emergency pick-up for the day. Dib's too far away to do more than flail in your general direction, so he sent me. Begged me, really. Said he didn't trust Torque's two brain cells to handle the situation. I can see why."

Lewis scrambled to make sense of their situation. Vivi was little better. "I don't get it," she said, dully.

"And I don't get why Dib doesn't have you classified as a Smurf in his files." Gaz flipped up a headset and squinted at the camera. "So what are _you_ confused by? I'm the one who scooped up a unicorn."

"Everything! What just happened?"

"Like I said, I scooped up a unicorn. And riders. Like Dib asked. And you fractured something. I don't know anything about splints. Need a hospital drop?"

Vivi stopped trying to get a good angle to watch the monitor and resumed staring at the ceiling. Hospital drop? No, there wasn't time to…

What exactly did they need to do?

"I don't know what to do. I don't know anything about what we need to do or where we have to go." She sucked in a breath. "Can Dib find Arthur?"

"Dib is kinda on the other side of the world. That's why he sent me, remember? And I don't know and I don't _want_ to get involved more than I have to. I'm not interested in your shenanigans. I have a date with the final boss of _Belch of the Untamed 2_."

Vivi tried to pull her thoughts together. She should never have tried to go back to the city. She should have grabbed Mystery and gone back to Dib's lab. Of course Tome Tomb was dangerous right now, but so was the Peppers' place, and she'd landed the Peppers in hot water with everyone. Dib would ream her right after he was done reaming them.

Dulcie. Dulcie and Lance. They'd successfully retrieved and saved hostage targets. She held onto that. Their attempts hadn't been a total fiasco. Just mostly.

Plus they had Mystery on a short leash. Lewis had slipped Mystery's Hoshi no Tama to one of his Deadbeats, then scattered all of them. Mystery was in their power now and maybe they could get some answers out of him.

"That's weird," Gaz muttered. "Hey, do you guys have some kind of crazed hawk as part of your group?"

For a moment, Vivi's heart skipped with Lewis' hope. Aji?

"I mean, it looks totally normal, but it's keeping pace with a quasi-invisible spaceship. Usually the SEP field works to keep birds away too, but it keeps flying right in front of us and then veering sharp left. It's done this three times. That's not normal bird behavior. So, friend of yours?"

The view on the monitor flipped to display, presumably, what Gaz saw. A small brown and white mottled bird with a hooked beak flew dead-center ahead of the ship, its tail spread like a little fan as it glided ahead of the ship. Definitely not Aji, and that not-Aji-bird banked left, soaring out of view. Thirty seconds later, it returned to the lead-point of the ship.

"That's four times now and nobody on board has offered me a drop point. I'm not babysitting you all day. Do I follow the bird?"

Follow the bird? Follow the _bird_? Hysterical laughter bubbled up in Vivi's throat, but before she could dismiss Gaz, Mystery spoke up. "I want to know why it attacked me. I could have stopped Arthur. I want to know what that bird really is."

All eyes turned to him.

"There was a bright green flash," Chloe mused. "I thought I saw giant wings and green fire, but then they were gone and just your dog was left when we got there."

"Whatever you're talking about, it's obviously intelligent and it's obviously trying to get us to follow. That's five, now." Gaz flipped the view back to her face. "If it gets to ten and you haven't decided, I'm picking for you."

And Vivi laughed. A long and loud and harsh. "Follow the bird!" she crowed. "Why not? Feather-directed heading, clouds ahoy!"

Lewis' concern barely registered with her. What did it matter who they followed at this point? Nobody knew anything, and any heading was better than what they had. Point of fact, any heading _not_ chosen by her was bound to be better for the group, by and large. That was well-established by now, right?

And that was why, two hours later, a spaceship parked outside the last place anyone wanted to return to-the cavern of their nightmares-dropped off a unicorn, a dog, and a girl who was laughing so hard she could barely sit straight on the unicorn, and zoomed off. The pilot had far more important matters to attend to, like beating the boss of _Belch of the Untamed 2_.

Besides, she really didn't want to get involved in any situation featuring a cave that was laughing back.

* * *

 **Note:** Why yes I did borrow from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's a good series that I desperately need to re-read. Also, this chapter needed heavy modification after Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus dropped. Already I deeply regret my characterization of the late Professor Membrane in this fic, but what can you do? New canon info is only useful NEXT time I write and all that jazz, but at least it allowed me to tap into a different personality for Gaz. And a better ship setup.

I'd like to apologize to readers. I'm struggling with this fic more than any of the others in this series. Know that I will not give up and I will bring this story to its end, but that it may take me longer than I would prefer.

Chapter title excerpted from Trapped by Dead By April.


	17. Right Back in Time

Vivi wished she could be surprised when the bird turned into a child. The prairie hawk settled itself on a rock ledge jutting out above the mouth of the cave, and then it was suddenly half of the runaway twins team. Whichever child it was dangled legs over the edge, waiting. _Artie was always low-key freaked out about them. Ten points for his paranoia._

Vivi also wished she could work up shock over the fact that someone in the depths of the cave was laughing just as hard as she herself was, nearly doubled over Chloe's neck and wheezing at the sheer, painful ridiculousness that they had to come back _here_ again, of all places.

 _We were supposed to leave this behind forever. It's over. It's done._

Vivi's right leg now swelled larger than her left and had collected two or three colors at the mid-shin area.

Mystery stirred in Vivi's arms. "Mother?" he murmured, straining his neck toward the cave.

"Hey guys. You made it." The child lifted a hand in greeting, expression guarded as she watched their approach from above. Of the two, Vivi had only ever heard Ginny speak.

This just tickled Vivi more. Before she could launch into another round of hilarity, Lewis straightened their spine. Pink flared hot at the edge of her vision and laughter died in their throat.

Ginny shook her head slowly. "Don't get mad at me, Lewis. It's not gonna help Vivi if you keep taking over. Everything got thrown in the blender."

Lewis blinked, squinting up at Ginny.

"You know, all mixed up?" Ginny pantomimed shaking something up and down in two hands. "Swinging back and forth really fast. Probably messed up her thinking."

 _Rapid cycling,_ Vivi thought, surprise finally breaking through. _Swinging from up to down and back in short succession. She knows what's going on? And about Lewis?_

"What in the seven circles of hell is going on?" Lewis growled, curling their fingers into a fist. "And why _here_?"

An odd sheen touched Ginny's eyes as she gripped the edge of the ledge. "Wish I didn't hafta bring you here. Really do. But I promised."

"Mother." Mystery wriggled in Vivi's grip, unable to break it. He didn't spare a glance for Ginny. "Mother. I have. To."

Lewis sucked in a breath. "She's here. You sold us out."

Ginny shook her head rapidly. "No. Has to happen."

"You _sold us out!_ " One arm hooked firmly around Mystery, the other hauled back, heat collecting in the palm of their hand. "You're giving her hostages against Arthur!"

"No!" Ginny threw her hands out, eyes wide. "No, Persephone sent me!"

The arm froze, heat still pooling in their palm. "Explain."

Again Ginny shook her head. "I can't. There's a lot I can't say, but here's what I can. Persephone knows Mister Artie's in trouble. She sent us 'cause she still owes him bigtime. Gareth ran off to find him and Miss Kay. I had to come after you. Well." She side-eyed Mystery. "First I had to stop him from fighting Mister Artie, _then_ I had to get you to come here."

" _You_ took on a full-fledged Kitsune?" Lewis spluttered. "How? And again, why all this?"

"Mister Artie has to talk to _her_." Ginny pointed down at the cave mouth as she spoke. "He _has_ to, but not until _after_ you all talk to her first. And you're not helping Vivi by being up front of you both! It's mixing her head more."

"How would you know?" Lewis clenched their fist around the heat, compacting it. "And what good will it do for us to talk to this… this… whoever it is?"

"Her name's Shiro Mori. She made Mystery," Ginny pointed at the dog, still trying to free himself. "And Shiker. And a lotta others, but they're gone now. Can't say more. Please, you gotta talk to her."

Too much. Too much. Laughter bounced out of the cave and around on the inside of Vivi's head. Fire leaked out between their fingers and Lewis ground their teeth together.

Ginny tensed, leaning forward as if preparing to fly off the ledge. "I know I'm not explaining enough. I can't. This isn't keeping secrets 'cause someone will get in trouble or feel bad about what they did, okay? This is keeping secrets 'cause some things will go really really badly wrong if I say too much. Persephone told me so and she didn't tell me everything either. She just told us a few things that would help us and said we'd have to figure the rest out ourselves. Please. You gotta believe me. I want to help."

"Why?" Lewis demanded. "You barely know us! You've been around a few months!"

Ginny hesitated. "Can't say. Can't say. It's just important."

"You said you _wanted_ to help. This is more than just helping Persephone pay a debt, who are you?!"

"Please, you gotta go in. Can't say more." She wrapped her arms around herself and pitched forward. Chloe jerked, stepping forward as if she could catch the child, but before she could even neigh, Ginny was a hawk, zooming low across the ground and then curving up toward the sky.

* * *

For all that Gareth was short, he was stronger than Kay expected. Kay could only loop one arm around Arthur's waist, so she relied on Gareth to support him from the other side. Between the two of them, they dragged Arthur back into the shack and heaved him onto the bed. Kay tucked the blanket firmly around him as Gareth wedged the door shut.

Behind her, fresh wood thunked into the stove. Kay continued tucking the blanket in around Arthur. Feeling his forehead. Listening to his breathing.

Stalling.

Arcturus had been right to suspect the twins, but it was a moot point now. Arthur was out cold and now Gareth had a hook into him. Kay had to sort this situation on her own.

Her stomach twisted. Images she'd just been privy to flashed through her mind. It felt like tar had soaked through her skin and coated her insides, sliming everything it touched. She wanted to stand in a shower and scrub for days. If she ever got back to Lewis, she'd wrap her arms around him and just hold him.

No. He wasn't here right now, and he had Vivi to look after him. Right here and now was Arthur, and hadn't she just settled with herself that nobody would take Arthur from her?

But was she so sure that Gareth was, indeed, trying that? Arcturus was scared witless about being tracked down-now, she understood, by Mother-but Gareth had guided her to this shack and provided Arthur with fresh game to restore his strength. Neither of the twins had made a move to hurt them. Couldn't they have brought this "Mother" down on Arthur earlier if that was the end goal?

Finally, she lifted her head to face Gareth, a hand still on Arthur's forehead. "Who are you, really?" she asked.

Gareth seated himself cross-legged on the ground and raised his hands.

"Just speak." Kay said harshly. "Don't pretend. You have a voice."

Gareth blinked, hurt filling his eyes. Reproachfully, he shook his head and began to sign. **No, Miss Kay. I won't. Have voice. Never use unless I have to. You should know why.**

Her anger sputtered as quickly as it had flared. Of course she understood his choice.

 **I'm Gareth. Same as before.**

"No, not same as before. You've been hiding huge things. A siren?" she couldn't stop the little crack in her voice. "You must have known I was... you couldn't… you couldn't tell me?" She felt like a little girl all over again, hiding in a tree-top, wishing she wasn't so alone and wondering if there were any others she could fly with. "How? Where did you come from? Why did you put Arthur under sway if you're trying to be careful?"

 **Told you. I had to make sure he wouldn't attack me. He wouldn't hear anything I say while he's scared. I want to talk to both of you, but I need your help to keep him calm while I explain.**

"Explain to _me_ then. Are you from 'Mother'?"

 **Yes and no. Persephone sent us to help.**

"I don't believe you."

 **She said she wanted to help "Orange." She still owes him.**

Kay absorbed this for a moment. "Alright, assuming she did send you…" she gestured with her good hand, frustrated. "Explain? I mean… it's a mess! Just, explain, please."

Gareth's mouth quirked. **Mister Artie needs to face Shiro Mori. That's who he calls Mother.**

Kay stiffened, but Gareth held up a hand for her to wait, then continued. **They need to talk, but not yet. It would be really bad if they talked now. She'd unmake Mister Artie.**

Arthur groaned in his sleep, pulling the blankets tighter. Kay stroked his hair. "Unmake?"

 **All his cells,** Gareth pantomimed pulling something apart. **Destroy body. Destroy soul. Unmake.**

Kay's hand went still on Arthur's head. "Over my cold dead body," she swore.

 **Don't say that. Doesn't have to be that way. They can talk, just not now. Shiro Mori isn't okay.** He pointed to his head. **Not okay right now. Needs to talk to Vivi. Lewis. Chloe.**

Her jaw worked. What was a conversation between Shiro Mori and their friends supposed to accomplish? But a more pressing question rose to her lips. "If that's true, how do you know that? How do you know the right order of events?"

Even as Gareth flinched, the magnitude of what Kay had just asked struck her. Her lips parted, eyes widening. "You… but…"

The fox who knew where they were even before they had figured it out. Who knew Arthur's needs and provided him with fresh kills.

The child who refused to speak of his parents or where he'd come from. Who had been sent by a goddess whose abilities they were only vaguely familiar with. Who'd shaved his head and taken preventative measures about his scent. Who insisted it was utterly "impossible" for his "good parents" to miss their runaway children.

A lopsided smile spread across her face, pasting itself over a riotous tangle of emotions. "Did your parents teach you _any_ subtlety about time traveling?"

* * *

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Laughter Lines by Bastille. Reminder that the songs that say the most about this fic's plot are as follows: Laughter Lines by Bastille, What Child Is This (second half) by Trans Siberian Orchestra, Blue Skies by Blue October, Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons, White Flag by the Romanovs. The triumph song is still One Foot by Walk The Moon.


	18. Time To Shake These Memories

**Note:** Warning. Incoming disturbing nightmare imagery. Chapter title excerpted from Blue Skies by Blue October.

* * *

 _We are dreaming again. We know because this moment has happened too many times before and in exactly the same way each time._

 _We stand in a waiting room of sorts, but we are the only one there. Children's toys lie scattered about, a few set precariously on chairs and arm-rests, but a good many on the ground. Some are charred, some still smolder. We try not to look too closely._

 _There is a golden string anchored to our chest. The other end is not in sight. The string extends around a corner. It tugs gently so we stand and follow without question. We walk past the reception desk, deserted, but echoing with the rapid-fire click of fingernails on a lacquered surface and soft, mocking laughter._

 _We push through a creaky door and follow the string down a sterile corridor. The hallway smells of blood and vomit and antiseptic, and that is well and good because this is a hospital. But the doors we pass each have a name carved at eye-level, and the moment we read the name the door swings open and a child who bears that name stares out at us._

 _Our feet keep us moving forward. Doors open to our left and right as we pass, and each time another set of eyes weighs us. Judges us. We reassure ourself that we have a reason to be here and someone to see and so we continue following the golden cord, now our lifeline. But the corridor is so long and this place is abominably silent, and what hospital would let children this mutilated out of bed? For each is missing different parts. Sometimes limbs, sometimes eyes, sometimes something that is harder to see at a glance. They ooze a tar-like ichor onto the ground from their wounds. The stench of rotting flesh is pervasive, now._

 _We know them. We remember each face we harvested._

 _It is only a dream, we say to ourself, but we cannot stop it. We can only endure it. We walk the gauntlet and their stares are a near physical presence, gathering weight to crush us. Building to a breaking point. We know that in a moment they will run at us, trying to tear us apart as we continue walking, unable to move any faster, unable to change shape and fight or flee. That is the way of this dream._

 _Behind us, a harsh sound splits open the silence. It is unmistakably the sound of a door slamming. We cannot pause or turn around, but we are surprised. This is new. Was the door slammed on their way out to get us or, please gods, on their way back into their room? There is another, and then a multitude of doors are slammed. The one that has just opened next to us also jerks shut. The occupant is on the other side. We have, inexplicably, been spared._

 _Somehow that makes us more uneasy. This iteration of the dream is different. Can we count on anything?_

 _We hold our breath as we reach the door at the end of the hall. The nameplate says Cayenne Kingsmen. Usually we come to this door gashed and bleeding with small chunks torn from our legs and arms and teeth embedded in our flesh, but look. This time we calmly turn the door knob, whole and unassailed, and enter._

 _There she is. The other end of the cord leads into her mouth and for a moment our vision goes red. We wish to see her torn to pieces. She should have stayed dead. How dare she claim ownership of our will. How dare she call us to pass through this place time and time again. How dare._

 _But it is a fleeting thought._

 _She shines. She is a beacon of joy and love in excess, overflowing, and in the warmth of that, our own petty resentments are rebuked. She has something precious to show us, she says, and asks us to come closer. Our momentary wrath abandoned, we stretch out toward her, yearning with all our being. Please. Enfold us in this. We have been so cold for so long._

 _It is the only good moment this dream will give us. We remember what comes next. We cannot move our feet and so she stands, gingerly, holding something in her arms. Two somethings. We try to break through the repetition, try to speak and tell her to run away with them, but it is useless. Our tongue sticks to the roof of our mouth and we reach out to take one of those bundles into our arms._

 _A small face peeks out from a cloth wrapping, eyes still shut. It smells like us and it smells like Kay. This face has never known our horrors. It has never been touched by our darkness._

 _This is it. This is where the dream becomes hell. After this we will wake, fighting our own covers and vowing to never, ever procreate. We know what we are and what we could become, and this is our eternal reminder. Any moment now._

 _The eyes open and we freeze. This is not what happens. It usually never has the chance to see us before we… before…_

" _This ends in blood," we find ourselves able to say to the little bundle we hold. "This always ends in unspeakable blood and death. And it's my fault."_

 _The eyes are blue and watch us intently, though the mouth does not open. It shifts, wriggling mightily. It fights to bring a hand free, and with that hand, it reaches up to touch our face._

 _And somehow, the same warmth Kay gives is radiating from this child, too._

* * *

"So, just Lance and a couple of the guys at the shop?" Kay asked, sternly. "Nobody else?"

Gareth couldn't meet her eyes as he responded, **No. Nobody else. Had to. Had to keep them from turning us over to CPS, and had to make sure we had someone we knew was safe to stay with. We had to be near you. It was just a tiny bit to get them attached to us. To me. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-**

Kay caught his hands in hers. "If you tell me you couldn't think of another way, and this kept you safe, I believe you. I'm not mad."

He bit his lower lip, his eyes shining. His fingers clutched her hand. The need in his face hurt. "I'll bet you anything Lance won't be mad either, especially when he understands who you are. How long have you two been looking out for us?"

He shook his head hard, ducking his face.

"Okay. I get it. Not good to ask too many questions, right?" She squeezed his hand and tugged him closer. He lowered his head and wrapped his arms tight around her waist.

Too much was happening all at once, and suddenly she had twins in the future? She'd been taking precautions, they'd had both promised they'd never… was she already pregnant or did she and Arthur end up changing their minds down the line?

Not the sort of questions she'd lay on a kid, for sure, and she could hold off on her questions. He was clinging like she was about to vanish any second.

Kids. She had kids. Kids brave enough to backtrack in time to keep their father from being unmade. How did that sort of loop even work? She didn't know, but for a moment, she allowed herself to hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was a concrete way out of this mess.

A snarl from behind, followed by a blur that knocked her aside, pinning Gareth to the ground. Arthur crouched over him, jaws inhumanly wide and dripping, hands more claws than fingers.

Before Kay could open her mouth, Gareth screeched a short, sharp note. Arthur's hands flew to his ears and he collapsed, writhing on the ground. A blink later and a small fox crouched across the room, ears flat to its skull and tail curled between its legs, panting against the far wall.

Arthur rolled up onto all fours, his bone structure realigning in front of her eyes to accommodate a four-legged stance.

"Stop!" she shouted. "Arthur, just hold still!"

And he roared at her. A skeleton seemed to split open his back and crawl out, green fire burning in its eyesockets as it leaped out of Arthur and darted at the fox. Arthur himself did not move, but the skeleton missed the fox by a hair as the fox scrabbled to get out of the way. Both moved faster than she could choose her words. The fox screeched again and the glamour of a skeleton dissolved as Arthur crumpled to the ground a second time, clawing at his ears.

"Stop attacking Gareth!" Kay shouted. "For gods' sakes, Arthur! He's ours!"

* * *

 _In this moment, everything stops moving. Your heart. Your lungs. Your blood. Only your thoughts whirl, flailing to make sense._

 _You woke from a dream to find a threat grabbing hold of Kay. And now Kay shouts words that go against all sense._

 _And yet they don't, because pieces begin to click into place with the same ease they always have when you uncover some new piece of information you didn't have before._

 _From the first, the fox was too tame to be wild and stayed close to you and Kay in the underground bunker._

 _Unidentified siren songs guiding Kay out of her madness, bringing the lost woman back when Lewis' overtures were not quite enough._

 _Shaved heads and hidden scent to throw off identification._

 _Did you ever ask who taught them their way around a mechanic shop?_

 _The conversation between them that Lewis showed you. They knew something big was going to happen soon. They were doing it for their… for..._

 _And the last song before you fell unconscious. The one where Gareth took hold of your will also, the melody that spoke of what you could yet become, sung with the authority of one who knows._

 _You take in one long breath through your nostrils, sorting the scents of the shack in the space of a heartbeat. Mold. Rotting wood. Aluminum. Cotton. Burnt wood. Beans-and-pork residue. Faded salt spray that Kay brings with her everywhere. And… and…_

 _The barest scent. It's almost undetectable, but Gareth no longer smells like nothing. He smells, ever so faintly, like Cayenne. And like you._

" _No." The word comes to your lips, bleak. Horrified. "No." You bring clawed paws up to your face, now, blocking out the sight of the little fox, panting with fear across the room. "No. No. No."_

" _Arthur, it's okay. Persephone sent him. Ginny, too."_

 _Kay's hand brushes your shoulder, and you jerk, recoiling from her. Her hurt is a sharp tang in the air, but it is nothing to this hole that opens up inside you. Is it possible, you wonder, for you to have been cursed and be unaware of it? Is that why everything is falling apart around you so perfectly? Or is this Mother's vengeance, to shatter your heart into pieces before she destroys you?_

 _Damn Persephone. Damn the queen of the underworld to the Cage for playing right into Mother's campaign. Damn her for making us everything we tried… we tried so hard not to… gods, we tried…_

 _Your face is wet and your grief is loud. How often must we grieve? Is it that the understanding of our inevitable doom must come in stages? For both are in agreement within; it would be better to hand ourselves over to Mother, at this point, than to see the ending of our dream played out in reality._

 _Another touch, a small soft hand on a cheek more hair than face, but it is not Kay. You cry out and reel back from Gareth's touch, scrambling away and pressing your back to the wall, eyes wide and teeth bared. He jerks back at your sudden movement, fear still eking from him. He watches you, half crouched as he is. His clothes, you realize, do not look right. They look like a drawing of clothes, stiff and without the wrinkles of regular cloth. He is covered by a glamour, and a poor one at that. But it is a glamour._

 _He stretches a hand out, again. It is not steady. You press yourself harder against the wall, claws digging into the old wood. "I don't want to hurt you!" you cry. "Get AWAY FROM ME!"_

 _He hesitates, then creeps forward within arm's reach. You feel this has happened before. Monstrous, you face down a small, determined child who has never been touched by your darkness, who comes far, far too close and places their hands on your face._

 _You are tight as a drawn spring. Surely you will snap at any moment, now. "This ends in blood!" you rasp. "This ends in blood and death, don't you understand? Didn't you see what I did to children? Don't you know what I am? You can never exist!"_

 _He doesn't move away from you and he doesn't speak. His hands are wiping your tears, his own eyes full. With every wipe, your claws recede and bristling fur gives way to flesh._

" _Arthur," Kay says, softly. "They came all this way for us. Look. Someone taught them how to survive and work together and how to use their abilities. Arthur… maybe we don't do such a bad job if they love us enough to find us and help us. They wouldn't have come back for monsters, or even people who didn't care for them, right?"_

 _Gareth nods his head hard and fast. He lunges forward_ _and_ clung to Arthur. Arthur, who could barely breathe. His bones ached with fatigue as his muscles and nerves re-knit themselves in their proper places. And he curled his arms around Gareth, stunned beyond all communication.

Kay stood nearby, wiping her eyes, an unusually bright smile on her face. "How about we start again. There's some leftover pork and beans, so how about we eat something and pool whatever info we can without collapsing the universe."


	19. Just A Little Impaired

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered all over again. The bird-girl said to go back into the demon-mouthed cave from hell and face some ages-old overpowered supernatural creature, like any part of that sentence had ever gone well for their group. Vivi dug her good heel into Chloe's side, giddiness sweeping her up like a ship at the top of a huge swell. Why not? Might as well ride this wave and brash her way through whatever they had to face in there.

A child's sobs echoed in her head. Terror sliced her breathing capacity in half.

She laughed at the fear. It was ridiculous. Unfounded. Nothing would touch her. Nothing had ever specifically wanted Vivi, or chosen her, or tried to steal from her. She alone was immune while her friends suffered horrible fates. So it didn't matter if she charged in headlong. And as long as she was at the forefront, Lewis couldn't be targeted. She whacked her heel in again.

The sobbing in her mind intensified, her guts knotting until she gasped.

Unreal. Up and down at the same time. On the one hand was a glittering minds-eye view of Vivi sweeping aside this errant "Mother" with a simple cantrip and a scornful expression. On the other, staccato flashes cycling through with her heartbeat; the cramping closeness of damp, moldering cave walls and stone painted with old, old blood and a cavern floor strewn with human bones and a single green eye rolling around, ever-watchful. _No way out. No way out._

Her cheeks hurt as breath whistled through her clenched teeth. Her eyes streamed water. Why was Lewis doing this now? A moment ago he'd been angry. She could work with anger, she could roll it into her own momentum. She couldn't work with this… this… whatever it was he was going through now.

"Vivi-chan?" Chloe had curled her neck around to side-eye Vivi. "I don't think you should do what Ginny says right away. Also, you're kicking me a lot. I mean, it doesn't really hurt, but I don't like it."

Gut-checked by the Otaku again. Vivi's smile cracked off her face.

"I'm carrying you because I'm your friend and you're hurt," Chloe murmured, "and because I don't know what else to do, but that doesn't mean I'm just your pack-horse… right?"

 _Grandiose thinking. Failure to take into consideration the effects of your actions on others. Inability to gage properly proportioned response called for in a given situation._

Vivi lifted her glasses to rest on her headband and ground the heels of her hands into her eyes. "A minute," she mumbled. "Let me… a minute."

Okay. Breathe. One tangle at a time. First, was she required to run them into that cave right away?

She wanted to. But she wasn't aware of a time limit. She just had to talk with "Mother" before Arthur did. Arthur was safely out of reach for now and probably… gods alone knew where, actually. If "Mother" was in the cave, she could wait in there for a little longer.

Okay. Okay. She had some time. Probably. Okay, so the next question was… _awww cabbage matchskids_. The next question was a real no-brainer to answer. Who was she not listening to? Was she hurting someone or steamrolling them? Normally Mystery helped her catch that with a well placed whine, nudge, or gentle nip. Here, though, she was pretty sure she knew the answer herself.

Nervous, she cleared her throat, her pulse still hammering, the urge to march into the cave and _do something_ crawling under her skin. "Chloe, I'm… you're right. I'm not thinking…" she bit back the outrage her own admission lit in her. "Not thinking clearly. I'm sorry. That I kicked you. Like you're a horse. You're not, you're really helping me out." Her thoughts drifted back to other instances of Chloe's careful attention, given while Vivi was in shock and dealing with the fallout of her memories being wiped. "Again. You're helping me out again. Like a good friend. I'm not, always. A good friend, I mean."

She winced as she connected to another dot. "Or group leader… girlfriend… wife… cod flagger it all, Lewis… I'm sorry. Gods, Chloe can you help me off? Not the ground, there's a good rock over there."

Chloe backed away from the mouth of the cave and sidled up to the boulder Vivi indicated. Vivi swung her leg over and carefully slid onto the rock, leaning against Chloe's flank and balancing on one leg. She thunked down on her rear and pivoted until she was facing Chloe from atop the boulder, about four feet off the ground. "Okay, Chloe. Thanks. Can we talk a sec?"

As Chloe backed up further to get in eye-contact range, Vivi reached inward for Lewis. Whatever warmth she extended probably came across blunt and clumsy, like trying to give someone a gentle pat when you were wasted, but it couldn't be as harmful as what she'd nearly done. "Chloe, I have a huge favor to ask you."

* * *

She didn't like being a magical girl. This was what Chloe had finally settled on. Sure, Sakura could get away with having a decently normal life when she wasn't moonlighting as a card captor, but even she had to face all kinds of unpleasantness. Chloe had called it "heroism" and "digging deep" and "facing your fears" whenever she crowed encouragement at the screen. And for those who had to claw through the blackest despair to get what they wanted, like Homura-chan and Madoka, Chloe wept and praised their desperate and grim determination, their undying love.

She didn't like having to do any of it. Her legs hurt from running all day, a horrible bone-deep fatigue was setting in from her magic practice, and she just wanted to fall down and sleep for a week. It hurt to see Vivi struggle with herself. It hurt to think of how scared Lewis must be. She hated that Dulcie, her dear little friend, had nearly been in danger again. And she even hated that Arthur was hiding under a rock somewhere, afraid. He wasn't supposed to be afraid like that. She thought of his hand, stretched out toward her hoof like a supplicant, skin bubbling with blisters as his fingers brushed it.

" _Please… help. We submit… to your judgment… not his."_

Why? Because she was a unicorn? Because she was supposed to know in her bones who was the good guy and who was the bad guy? _Iyarashi!_

No. Because he… or the Shiker, whose memories he carried… had wronged her. Wronged her whole herd. She was the only one left to beg judgment of, and she had no idea what to do with herself or how to handle his plea, and there was nobody to ask how you handle being in a world that doesn't know how to handle you. This was not the reality she was told all her human-life that she inhabited.

"Chloe, I have a huge favor to ask you."

Chloe flicked an ear toward Vivi, swallowing down the dread crawling up her throat.

"I've run headlong into this place like nothing bad is going to happen twice now. Like I can handle it." Vivi drew in a slow breath between her teeth. "And whatever Lewis says and whoever's fault it really was," she said, her words clipped and forceful now, "my actions have been a factor in really horrible things happening in that cave to two people I claim to care about."

Vivi's gaze drilled Chloe. "I want to save the day. Because I can totally do it, don't you know. I'll show you. I'm not so screwed up that I'll fail at every single thing I set my hand to, and I'll be a matte-footed monkey tester if I let anything or anyone get in the way of my absolutely perfect plan that has no flaws in it. There's always some kind of safety net, and nothing will go so wrong we can't fix it, and nobody gets really hurt with this _new_ plan even if it has a lot of aspects of the last plan and even if the danger we face is so big that is actually _created_ the danger we faced last time. None of that matters, because I absolutely know I'll save the day this time. You get me?"

Chloe nodded, her ears lifting slightly. Vivi-chan had gotten a handle on herself. What a relief. She'd know what needed to be done, now.

"So, Chloe… I need you to go into that cave and tell that sorry excuse for a mom in there that I have her pup." Vivi's fingers tightened on Mystery's collar. "I have him, and I'm not giving him back because she sucks at her job, and we need to talk out in the open. _Not_ inside the cave of doom where everyone's lives were ruined."

Chloe squeaked. There was no other word for the mewl of protest that caught halfway up her throat and clenched itself.

"All the gods are scared of you, so they can't hurt you, right? They don't dare. And what happened to you didn't happen _in that cave._ Chloe, please, he's…" Vivi winced. "He's so scared. I can't do this to him, no matter how sure I am that I can totally fix it."

Vivi-chan needed her. Lewis-sempai needed her. Dulcie-chan. Arthur-sama. Everyone needed her to be the brave magical girl. Vivi was the one yelling "dig deep" at the screen this time. She had to do it for them. Running away in fear wasn't an option, right?

Chloe snorted, lowering her horn as she faced the cave. Briefly, she wished for the missing parts of her memory. Surely they would grant her extra bravery, make her stronger and more likeable, and help her understand what being a unicorn was really about. The return of any "missing pieces" always made somebody whole and strong in an anime. Nobody ever ended the story still missing their pieces, wouldn't now be a good time to get those back?

"Baka," she muttered to herself. "This isn't anime and Vivi didn't ask the back-then-Chloe. She asked the now-Chloe. She thinks the now-Chloe is strong enough." Squaring her shoulders, she trotted into the gaping cave-mouth.

"Left fork!" Vivi shouted after her. "Do NOT take the right fork under any circumstances!"

Chloe whinnied back, slowing down to pick her way over uneven ground. This sort of thing had been so much easier with two feet that didn't fit holes so well. She hugged the left wall as close as she dared without scraping herself on it, following the hysterical laughter that grew louder the deeper she plodded.

Down. Down. Down. Time-blurred scenes of _The Last Unicorn_ flashed through her head. Didn't the unicorn in that movie have to go into a terrible cave at some point, too? Chloe had impulse-rented the flick on the way home one evening, and she'd only gotten to watch it once. Duet had come home to find her in tears for no reason she could explain. He'd been furious. She'd never found the movie after that and had to pay the replacement fee.

Duet. Would he-would they, her herd-be proud of her for doing this? She had to believe they would be, even if they would prefer her out of danger. She was doing a good thing. Right?

She lifted her head and planted her steps firmly. Duet would approve.

And then she paused. Was that really laughter? That high, that desperate, that unending? Was something really that funny? She quickened her steps. The end of the tunnel opened up ahead, and in a moment she had left the enclosed space and stepped out onto the floor of a vast cavern. Stone spires stabbed up from the floor.

The shuddering not-laughter choked off into a thoroughly uncomfortable silence. The cloying scent of decayed cherries made Chloe gag. She lifted a knee to her muzzle, rubbing her nostrils against her knee. What was it Vivi-chan had told her to say?

Ah… right. What was a less confrontational way of saying all that?

"Um, excuse me, are you…" Ginny had said the name. What had she said? "Shiro Mori?"

The laughter crackled explosively. Eyes flickered across the stalagmites, sprouting beetle legs and crawling up to the tips before shutting and winking out of existence. A mouth opened up on the ground before Chloe's hooves with a sharp-toothed smile. Chloe reared with a shriek.

"Am I Shiro Mori?" The mouth grinned. "Am I?"

Chloe shied back, eyes wide. "I… I don't know. I've never met Shiro Mori before."

"Don't know! Not your responsibility!" the mouth crowed, releasing a wave of frogs' feet that hopped out from between the teeth and vanished after two leaps. The teeth glimmered silver like knives. "Seek the goddess, eh? You'd have her do for you? Bless crops? Lift blights? Fill wombs? Bring rain? Curse neighbor? What doing does Shiro Mori?"

Chloe didn't like this place. Malformed ears grew out of the wall and shriveled up while little beady eyes continued forming and vanishing everywhere she looked. "Are you Shiro Mori?" Chloe demanded. "We have to talk to her, but I don't want to talk to you if you aren't her."

"Ah, cruel! Cruel!" The corners of the mouth pulled down, crumbling rock-teeth gnashing holes into the lower lip. "What doing does Shiro Mori?"

Chloe really, really did not want to stay. Vivi would know what to do. "Are you the only one here? Do you know Mystery?"

Nearby stalagmites writhed with tiny tentacles, uncurling for a moment before winking out of existence. "Mysssstery. Human-name of child. Mine child. Is back? We take traitor. Unmake traitor. Mine child back?"

"Yes, back." Chloe backed up as the stench warmed, thickening around her. "But! But we don't like how you treated him. We want to talk to you outside."

A howl rose up from the rocks. Keyholes opened around the edge of the wailing mouth. "Ahhhhhh. Cannot do the doing of Shiro Mori, cannot find the doing, am not Shiro Mori, am only childhurt! Ah, ahhh! Back to nothingness, unknowingness! Please, back me to nothing!"

Chloe's legs quivered. She didn't understand _exactly_ what this creature was asking her, but it was asking her to do something important. Maybe something drastic? Why did everyone assume she knew what she was doing?

"Matay, matay." Chloe cleared her throat, trying to think through one thing. Just one. "You're the only one here?"

"Only. Aloneness."

"Well, somebody told us to come here and find Shiro Mori. Do you know Ginny? Little girl, shaved head, can turn into a bird?"

"No. No know Ginny."

"Well Ginny know you. Or seemed to. She flew off, though. So it's just Vivi, Lewis, Mystery and me. I'm Chloe. We want to talk to you outside, please? Bad things happened to them in here and they won't come back inside."

"Vee…. vee…" The mouth vanished. A shadowy, blobby form surged from one stalagmite to another in the dark. "Veevee here. See Veevee."

Snorting, Chloe brandished her horn, mustering a thin glow around it. "No hurting Vivi." She hoped that sounded more threatening than she felt.

"No!" The voice cried, wounded. "No hurt Veevee! Take care of Veevee!"

Take… take care of her? Chloe tossed her mane. This was definitely for Vivi to sort out. "Follow me."

* * *

The longer Vivi sat there, stroking Mystery's head and staring at his unresponsive face, the more the bravado and rush drained away. It wasn't him. If he'd been stealing it, Lewis would have raised a ruckus. No, Lew was still trying to recover some sort of composure. This was just her tipping back to swing the other way again.

Rapid cycling. Extreme, too. How on earth could Ginny know?

The dog in her lap hadn't looked up once. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the cave entrance. Waiting for _her_.

"I missed you, you know." Vivi said at the back of Mystery's head. "Just so we're clear. You didn't even say goodbye. Didn't say when or even if you'd be back. Guess we weren't as close as I thought. Guess I really am just a battery pack for you."

No response.

"Yeah. Well. I guess there's not much point yelling at you now. I'll just do it when you're back to normal. And believe you me, this 'Mother' is gonna have to account to me for her parenting style if this is the result."

One of Mystery's ears swiveled toward Vivi, and he spoke, pulling up words like embedded flagstones. "Mother is good. Mother is lost. Give all good to Mother."

Vivi's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by all that?"

Mystery's red eyes finally slid around to meet Vivi's. "Mother, lost. Fed Mother."

Vivi's gut clenched with double alarm. "What are you talking about, Mystery? You gotta give me more to work with, here."

Mystery's gaze refocused on the cave. "Found Mother. Lost, like Kay. Kay being lost doesn't change herself. Being lost changes all of Mother. Had to feed Mother all the good."

"Feed Mother? All the good? Mystery, did you give her everything you got from me? All at once?" Vivi's mouth went dry.

"Vivi-chan?" Vivi glanced up to see Chloe trotting out from the cave, her tail lashing the air. "I think I found her."

"Good." Vivi straightened, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. She didn't want to be right. Please, gods, let her be very, very wrong. "Let's get this over with. Where is she?"

"She's coming, but... She stays in the shadows and keeps laughing and then crying."

 _No. No no no no no…_

"She says she wants to talk to protect you," Chloe continued, "but then goes back to talking about the traitor, and that she's horrible but will fix it all? I don't understand what she means."

Mystery lunged forward, and Vivi barely grabbed his collar as a horrible, withered sweet scent spilled out from the cave. A rolling mass of fish-eyes crawl-hopped on doe's legs and chicken's feet to the entrance. It was two dog's faces, supported on a dozen snail's eyestalks and surrounded by an aura of twitching fox-whiskers. At least five different birds' heads came into view before melting back into a sea of pores and knotted snake tails. All this seared Vivi's eyes in the second before she threw out her hands to block sight of the apparition.

Mystery immediately leapt off her lap, bolting straight for it. "Mother," he said, his voice toneless as ever. "Feed."

"Child, I hurt child?" A strange voice croaked. "Hurtchild. Am… am…" and then it broke out into hideous laughter. "Unmake traitor. Fix everything, back to better than before, be Shiro Mori and do her doings. No more hurtchild, only traitor. Unmake hiddenness, Arrrthurrrr."

Feed Mother. Ginny's insistence that Vivi had to talk to Mother before she got to Arthur.

Vivi shut her eyes. Was this what insanity felt like? "Hey, Lewis?" she muttered. "Pinch me if I'm dreaming, but I think Mystery transmitted Bipolar 2 to a goddess."

* * *

 **Note:** Chapter title excerpted from Unwell by Matchbox 20. If I haven't said it before, this: Vivi's experiences are extrapolated from my own. The parallels aren't always exact between her and me, but I do use descriptions of how it feels to me for her. My terms aren't always perfectly accurate either, because while I do look things up, I never sank 100% into understanding every single aspect of Bipolar in its DSM-defined box. This is not a primer for how to recognize Bipolar 2 or how to label which parts of the condition. This is a flawed character with a decent to moderate understanding of what is going on in herself. And now we've added a flawed character with a lot of power and zero understanding of what is going on in herself. So, not everything is going to fit where it's "supposed to". My thanks to R5h and Pipefoxesonthemoon for helping me work through a couple different aspects of tackling this chapter in the last month or so.


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